I do many things as a local guide ranging from adding missing places, reviewing them, uploading photos and videos, answering questions, uncovering missing information etc.However, among all these, the most interesting thing I have done is adding missing places in the town I live.
I reside in Gaya in Kano state, Northern Nigeria. It is a rural community and a remote area. Many of those who have businesses, mosques and schools do not think of giving an online presence to their enterprise. By virtue of the various places which I have added on Google Maps, I have made more people to know about the various places and activities in Gaya.
To put this in perspective, there are several shops, petrol stations, places of worship, government offices etc. in the town which were not on the map and were only known locally, however this has changed due to my impact. This is very significant because sometimes, people leave the town to purchase goods or services which are actually within the town but not known in particular to new dwellers because they are not on Google Maps.
Furthermore, my reviews have also helped to give people concise, factual and beneficial information on how these places are. This is particularly beneficial to those who need information but they are far away. In a few situations where the reviews might not have provided all these information needed, the phone numbers of these businesses added to the map are used to contact the business owners for more details.
Above all these, photos speak louder and travel farther. They have indeed helped to show others how these places look like instead of leaving them to their imaginations.
Navigating through the town and the places in it has thus become easier. What can be sweeter? Right in my eyes, the town gradually gets better and I am pleasantly delighted.
A screenshot of the photo of the entrance to a clinic in the General Hospital in the town posted on the map.
A screenshot of a government college in Gaya that I added to the map.