As aid workers save lives amidst the destruction in Haiti, it is Kenyan technology that is supporting the relief efforts. Ushahidi is an engine that maps text messages and calls for help throughout a crisis. The website provides aid groups with a better picture of dire needs for food, water and medical assistance.
Ushahidi, which means "testimony" or "witness" in Swahili, is an open source project that allows users to share information, via the Web or mobile phone, during crises. The innovative platform for aggregating mobile news, as it happens, was originally developed by Kenyan citizen journalists in 2008.
The page dedicated to tracking the current crisis in Haiti has a map illustrating the reported locations of collapsed structures, damaged schools, and blocked roads in the nation's capital of Port-Au-Prince. Another feature highlights fires, contaminated water supplies, trapped persons, and survivors.
