Rwanda is one of the smallest countries in East Africa but also the most beautiful one, hence its name “the thousand hills country”, that’s where I come from. I love sharing on Google maps all about my country, every chance I get to visit a new place I always make sure that I add it to Google map, most people in this world don’t know much about Rwanda, So I want to help those who have no idea on how Rwanda looks.
The first time that I got a chance to know Google maps was in 2016, I wanted to visit a Kandt house museum in Kigali but I didn’t know where it was located nor how it looked inside. I checked on internet and found a lot of information shared by Google local guiders about that place, I saw photos that they have posted talking about their experience in that museum. I was very motivated by that, and when I visited that museum it was really good as they have said in their reviews, from that day I started sharing pictures of every place I visit in Rwanda, because I wanted to motivate other people to visit certain places as I was also motivated, hence my first photo and first review that I posted as a Google local guider was about kandt house museum. From that day till now, I still post different places and I am the one who shoot every picture that I post.
Last year I was studying in the university of Rwanda precisely in Remera campus then one day while I was sitting in front of my class, I took a very nice picture of the whole block and posted it on Google maps, that picture got more than 20 000 viewers , It is the first picture of mine that got a lot of viewers. I feel very proud of being a local guider, I know that my contribution to Google maps is helping a thousand of people.
Many of my favorite places that I have posted on Google maps are different, some are restaurant others are touristic places, hotels, museum, markets, lakes, churches, schools, art centers and many more. I don’t limit myself to what I want to post, when I get the opportunity to take a picture of a new place that I visit I just post it. as long as it depict and shows the Rwandan development, culture and history. Examples; I recently visited NGARAMA rock, it an old rock that has a meaning to the history of Rwanda, I shared the pictures I took on Google maps so that people who want to visit it might know where it is located and how it looks like.
The second example is ‘Shrines of our lady of Kibeho’ it is a famous miraculous place not only for Rwandans but also for catholic Christians in the whole world, I visit this place often and every time I get there I always try to post different pictures on Google maps because I know that many people would want to see how Kibeho looks before they arrive there.
There are so many other places that I share on Google maps that includes Nyarutarama Girls hostel where I stay now. Hotel Credo where I often go to swim. Camellia restaurant where I go to eat when I am in Kigali. Saint Charles Lwanga churh where I go to pray sometimes. Umutako Iwacu, a gift shop that I visited. Rutsiro district is where my Grandparents live, it used to be non developed district but now It looks stunning, I shared some pictures of that place because I wanted people to see how that district has changed. Google maps app has been like a best friend to me , It is where I share all my traveling.
I help people locate various places in particular areas here in Rwanda so I joined the Google local guides to help tourists, visitors, foreigners and Rwandans in general who might want to visit different places in Rwanda get ideas on where to visit , and my contribution help them find out different deals of information using Google Maps, so I am never going to stop being an active Google local guide because It is enjoyable and make me feel valuable.
