I love map work and I have enjoyed it ever since my lower primary schooling. I remember how we use to take an Atlas, pick the most remote island away from Africa, and ask our desk-mates to locate it. This made us know different parts of the world. That passion of ‘traveling’ as manifested into a ‘big bug’ that now has made me a ‘Google mapper’.
Other than just sheer love to ‘wander to wonder’, Google mapping is helping me preserve our communities through authenticating the existing infrastructure. Most of our social amenities are at risk of being ‘grabbed’ by corrupt political elite, public servants. In collaboration with private developers, these are a threat to the poor masses well-being.
Hitherto, we have seen arson attack on a nursery school (Starehe Day Nursery), apportioning of a St. Bridget’s Primary School land to a private 'St. Bridgett’s School, (meaning an existance of a private school within a public school compound) and even alienation of half Kariokor War Cemetery to private developers.
Without the placement of these places on Google map, it would have been harder for us to reclaim these places from such care-free public servants and vicious private developers.
Therefore, more than anything, Google-mapping is so essential unto me as a community organiser and land-rights defender.