Ushahidi in Haiti

The organization, Ushahidi (originally based on a form of citizen journalism), has developed to become a web platform for collecting and disseminating information while including interactive visuals in the form of maps and timelines. Ushahidi is the Swahili word for "testimony," and was created as a result of post-election violence in Kenya in the early part of 2008. Although its roots stem from the crisis in Kenya, the model is now being employed all around the world. Part of its appeal is the simplified technology, which allows anyone to use it since it was designed to be a community collaboration. It utilizes free software, which serves as a broadcasting hub to receive information via email and text. Basically, an SMS (Short Service Message) is sent from a conflict zone; the message is synched to Ushahidi’s software; outreach is then enabled after information has been verified; finally the report is posted on the site with the time of occurrence and linked to Google Map to indicate the divergence area.

One of Ushahidi’s latest activities has focused on the unfolding crisis of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In order to get immediate attention and assistance to those affected by the disaster, they have mobilized efforts for relief by tracking victims, coordinating requests for help, and organizing volunteers. Known as the Crisis Map of Haiti, a number of volunteers took on the task of translating Creole SMSs, pinpointing GPS coordinates, and labeling the reports in near real-time. The site also displays photos, asking viewers to tag and identify people in the hopes of locating missing persons, as well as providing training documents and user tutorials. Areas of emergencies, vital lines, public health, security threats, infrastructure damage, natural hazards, and available services are all plotted on the online map and labeled in both French and English. Ushahidi represents a tremendously comprehensive and up-to-date platform and continues to use technological advancements to disseminate information and deploy assistance in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake.

Ushahidi’s strength lies in its ability to customize their platform for various locations and needs through an uncomplicated means of aggregating information from the public. As a result of combining technology, media, and globalization, they have succeeded in implementing a system, which utilizes all these factors to their advantage. Equally as important, they have brought awareness to emergency situations and other conditions within a local space while simultaneously directing the information to an open source, allowing for a larger global participation. Finally, the integral asset of Ushahidi is the subsequent partnership of local media with other international organizations. For example, since radio is one of the most popular forms of news media in Haiti, radio deejays working with Ushahidi began broadcasting text messages and emails throughout the country. In Haiti, this is one of the methods that has revolutionized humanitarian response efforts and seems to be working in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.

http://haiti.ushahidi.com/