I started using Google maps in 2016 when I was trying to find direction to my new working place about 300 miles away from home. As a stranger far away from home, I found it easier to locate different places without necessarily asking for help from the native people.
As I used Google maps, one day, during my free time, I decided to explore the app and I pressed the menu button and found an option for editing and adding places and pap! There I was.
For fun, I started to navigate through places near my home and learnt that most of them were yet to be added to Google maps. I took that opportunity to add some places like; Sengera Mariba market, Kia’Goa falls, Magenche Main SDA Church, Itibo-Magenche SDA Church among other places. In so doing, little did I know that I was helping some more people find direction to those places I had added to the Google maps until when I got notification from Google maps about the number of views on the places I had added to the Google maps. This boosted my morale to contribute more New places so as to help more other people benefit from Google maps by finding direction to their destinations as I did in 2016.
In the course of my contribution of new places to Google maps and editing some of them, I developed curiosity to learn about new places and this prompted me to make effort to visit them and share some of their details on Google maps. Consequently, I have known new places and made new friends within my country for example in tourist destinations like the Mombasa Continental Resort, The Lions gardens in Nakuru, Mutitu Andei in Tsavo West National Game Park, the Mombasa Marine National Game Park, Mt Kenya natolional game park among other places.
As a local guide, Google maps has also enabled me to make friends from countries like Nigeria, India, South Africa, The USA, Canada among others through online interaction
By getting involved in all these ventures, I feel a sense of satisfaction and responsibility by learning that someone’s life is made easier by my contribution to Google maps.
As a local guide, I feel honored to have an opportunity to contribute to Google maps by editing and adding places and other facts about places to Google maps to Hep many more people not only to find direction to their different destinations but also to make informed decisions about places they may want to visit.