Hello Local Guides family,
We consider ourselves lucky enough to belong to a great worldwide family that volunteers for the betterment of other people’s lives. This family engages in various aspects of service, such as supporting businesses by adding them on Google Maps with all the necessary information, promoting tourism in our countries by providing updated information about these places, and many other great volunteer jobs.
To meet local guides and share our knowledge, I invited local guides from Pakistan to gather at Frere Hall, Karachi. This invitation was not just for a meeting but also because I received an invitation from a Pakistani news channel Suno News HD which has 2.4 million followers on Social Media and countless viewers on TV. The Suno News HD channel intends to feature the Local Guides community in their headline news through a 1-minute 30-second video news package, which they air every hour when presenting the headlines.
It was no less than an honor for us because, through this, more people were getting to know about the Local Guides community and their great volunteer work.
After announcing a meetup and sharing it with messenger groups and Social Media, we were excited about the possibility of meeting many new people at the meetup. However, luck wasn’t on our side once again. Fortunately, my friends @Bilal_shaikh and @DrFoodieOfficial (Rizwan Shah) were there to represent the volunteer community of Local Guides from Pakistan alongside with me.
Although we had scheduled the meeting for 10 am, we arrived early to capture some photos of the historic Frere Hall for Google Maps. We have held numerous meetups at this location since it is centrally located in the city, but we can never resist taking photos whenever we visit.
It was fun shooting a video for Suno News HDbecause it wasn’t our first time meeting their news team. However, @Nazish-Malang from Suno News was the person who initially gave us the opportunity for significant international media exposure through aBBC video documentary about Local Guides’ activities in Pakistan. As a result, we have become great friends and now meet frequently.
The shoot started with the recording of me, followed by Rizwan, and finally Bilal. However, they included the shots of me and Rizwan in the final edited version when it aired. So, I won’t talk much and bore you further. You can watch the news clip here, with an English translation added by me in the YouTube video . Additionally, below, you can read what we said during the entire one-minute and 30 seconds video, which Suno TV aired in their headlines every hour.
Newscaster:
Worldwide, the most widely used search engine is Google, and for this search engine’s maps, there is a worldwide community working voluntarily. In Pakistan, who is helping Google Maps to improve the maps? TV reporter Nazish Ayaz is going to introduce you to them.
Nazish :
In the world, Google Maps is the most commonly used platform for obtaining directions. People rely on photos to make informed decisions about a place. So, who are the individuals responsible for editing the places and uploading these photos? I will be meeting and introducing them to you in this video report.
Background Nazish’s Voice :
Sometimes, people edit a place on Google Maps, while other times they rely on the guidance provided by uploaded photos on their mobile phones. However, whom does Google seek guidance from for these places?
Kashif Misidia :
Our community is volunteering in Pakistan, or I can say it’s worldwide—a community of 200 million local guides. We all contribute to updating Google Maps. Primarily through Google Maps itself, and especially through the Local Guides Connect forum, we showcase Pakistan’s tourism attractions to the world.
Background Nazish’s Voice :
Google Maps, they are supporting Small businesses as well
Rizwan Shah:
If you are running a small business and you want to boost your business using Google Maps, there are plenty of features available to help you achieve that goal.
Let’s take the example of the Karachi-Hyderabad highway. Numerous restaurants along this highway were known to the residents of Karachi and Hyderabad. However, after adding them to Google Maps, these places have become the most visited destinations in our province. They have also become must-visit places for people residing in other cities of Pakistan.
Background Nazish’s Voice :
If the government provides them with some encouragement, these Google volunteers can be a great asset for Pakistan in promoting tourism and playing a significant role in the country’s economy.
I’m Nazish Ayaz with cameraman Javed Iqbal from Suno TV Karachi.
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. Coz anywhere I read about you, is just 
You always keep inspiring us all ! Happy guiding !