Google.org in Kisii

There’s been a lot of local interest and curiosity in Google’s growing presence in East Africa. One can only wonder, but I do believe that bringing cloud computing, jobs and education to the developing world is only a natural a fit for a company the size of Google. There’s the altruistic, corporate responsibility aspects as well as the fact that Africa could likely become home to the same kinds of sleeper economies as Asia did. But first things first, saving lives and improving conditions.

Associate Meryl Stone recently posted on Google.org describing her observations in Kisii, Kenya:

A recent field visit took me to Kisii, a Kenyan town close to the shores of Lake Victoria. The population has swelled to 100,000 from approximately 70,000 largely because of refugees fleeing the post-election violence in other parts of Kenya. Local authorities expect to see that population double over the next ten years. Providing public services, especially water and sanitation, to this growing population is an enormous challenge.

In 2000, the international community made a commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals to help communities access basic public services, like health, education, water and sanitation. One the key milestones of Goal 7 is to “halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.” As of 2004, the MDG Monitor shows the nations bordering Lake Victoria- Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya only 60% of their populations have access to improved drinking water sources.
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And yet, unsurprisingly, the people of Kisii have long known that they don’t have appropriate water and sanitation services. They may not have even heard of the MDG’s. They are likely unaware of the conversations that transpire amongst donors and development agencies and help shape where resources are allocated. They are having their own conversations about what they need. But who can they tell? Who hears their voices?

Our challenge going forward is to help amplify these voices and contribute to efforts to inform these local discussions.

Only time will tell what Google’s plans are for East Africa. Will their presence be more .org than .com? For now, however, it’s good to have their attention and interest in the region.