Hello local guides,
It was 2017 when I joined local guides program, before I was just a contributor of Google maps with out any knowledge, but I was contributing because I thought may be what I’m doing will be useful for people to make decisions about a place before where they plan to visit.
But when I started reading connect posts, I was really amazed, this place was something different, because I thought the platform was just another form of social media where I only saw people updating status, uploading their own selfies, and other stuff.
But here on local guides connect, I feel that is not just a forum to do activities like other forms of social media, but here I feel that this a great place to learn and teach as well.
Everybody is helping each other to let him/her understand fast about Google maps, Local guides connect, meetups, etc.
That was the time when I feel change from my inner side, because before I was just a normal person, who think about himself, that is family and friends, or if we want to see more widely so just for his country. But for humanity, environment, and helping people I learnt it from here. Here I see everybody is ready to help anytime. And it sounds like a family with great bonding.
As I mentioned, I was an existing local guides, from not very old, but since 2017,
Than I started something which I learn and saw here.
Becoming local guide was like an miracle for me, I was very upset with a restaurant’s service and food, when I exit that place, suddenly I got notification, how was that place… and than I wrote a lot and that was my first contribution for google maps. (but when I was cool down I edited my review and wrote or the betterment of their service, and after a year when I visited there again, they were really better)
But after that , I read more reviews, and there were many 1star reviews for this place. So I thought if I read review before going there, I could save my time and money, and why I shouldn’t help people to save their time and money before they want to go anywhere.
And I always try to give message by my reviews to not only their customers , but the management as well, so if there is something which can improve, my review can help it . Positive criticism can change many things.
What I get being a local Guide and what increase my passion for Local Guides Program :
As a Local Guide I get more and much as I expected. As I explained it in below :
By Google Maps :
Google maps is the best friend and best guide for million of people around the world. My love for Google Maps was started with guidance from it and than pay back to it.
I love adding Places on Google maps, because I believe that if you are adding any place on Google maps, it will remain for decades on maps, no matters technology will change, but the place which you creat there will be always there and surely will help millions of people by your contributions. Reviews , Photos, Edits, uncovered the missing information and many other type of contributions are part of my passion.
By Knowledge sharing meetups :
Again it was the very first time when I had the honour to teach anyone and I got the respect of being a teacher. ( I never forgot that experience)
Knowledge sharing about Google Maps, Clean the world Campaigns, Plantation and specially importance of wheel chair Accessibility was kind of a great experience for me, because I hosted around four knowledge sharing meetups, with the presence of almost 100 people in total.
After every meetup, I felt that I gained something , it was coming from my inner side. I learnt it from my friends, specially ilankovan, I learn alot from his posts and his positive work for the people .
Knowledge Sharing Meetup @ HEF High School Karachi
Knowledge Sharing Meetup @ Dehli Girls High School
Knowledge Sharing Meetup @ Kamran Public School
Knowledge Sharing Meetup @ Lincoln Corner
Got Accessibility Cause :
When I started contribute Google maps, I wasn’t aware why in the Q & A sections it ask again and again about wheel chairs. But as I suffered from the experience of my father’s last year with the same issue. Me and my best friend (my father) we usually visited many places which we wanted to go, but after he had been on the wheelchair, we had very few choices in our list to visit.
This experience inspired me that Google maps care so much about the people who cannot visit these places just because of no access for wheelchairs. That motivated me to work for the mapping of accessible places, not only mapping but to create awareness in people of how important it is for them to have any Accessibile ramp for wheelchairs in their restaurants and other places. Today I’m a proud member of #oneaccessibilityalliance, with the guidance of very active local guides from around the world. @EmekaUlor @Jesi @MarineSergent, @PennyChristie, @ChinonsoOnukwugha, and @Kwiksatik
Accessibility walk Karachi (1)
Accessibility walk Karachi (3)
Environmental Campaigns :
As I saw on connect, there were lots of discussion regarding Google Maps, but along this discussion some people were working for environmental issues, specially against plastic pollution. It amazed me, because I m in the country, where we need to do a lot regarding this issue, mostly our public beaches are affected with plastic stuff.
Than I started here with the guidance of @ErmesT #cleantheworld team and @IlankovanT 's
#letsmapgreen , and started my small efforts, like clean the beach campaigns, plantation and educate people about the danger which we may probably face after some years. As I always say to ermes, that he moved many stones, ignite many candles around the world.
Let’s save our oceans (MirPur Sakro)
Let’s Clean the Batu Ferringhi Beach
How can we make our Practice more effective for the world.
Best practice for Google Maps Contributions :
Normally we contribute for Google Maps individually, by our Reviews, uploading Photos and Q&A. But in my opinion
Walks and Meetups can engage more people to work together for Adding places and Map editings. And when many people are doing same activity at any place, it attracts more people and make curosity to learn what they are doing. And that is time when you can explain them what and why are you doing this? And how much it will be helpful for thousands of people around you and in your city.
And one another thing, when you gather with the friends who are not local guides, but they have will to do something for the world. Discuss local guides program with them, and describe them what we can do with our small efforts and how it will useful for our community, country and for the world.
So we can moderate and built strong local guides communities in our cities and areas. And it will surely more effective than individual efforts.
As The most important thing which impressed me in Local Guides Program, it was local guides and specially connect and Google moderators always support team work and engaging more people for the noble causes. It’s like we are igniting candle to candle.
I would like to say Special Thanks to my best Friends @OmerAli and @AIMAN_SAEED who always guide me and gave me moral support & motivate me alot.
The endless journey as a local guide give me motivation all the time, because it’s never let fall down anyone. You make yourself motivate to do something Good for the world. Because as a single person if you are giving your best contributions for the world may be it will be drop of a water for someone, but when contributions of millions of people around the world will together, it can make ocean, and can me more effective for the world.
And this journey will continue, I never think about any perk or any benifit. My work is Volunteer, and it will be for our beautiful world, to make it spamfree, Clean and Accessible for everyone.
Shurkiya Google and Local Guides Connect.