Professor Dan Orwa of the University of Nairobi and social entrepreneur Adam White joined students to discuss their groundbreaking project: Digital Matatus. Matatus are privatized mini-buses that serve the transportation needs of the ever-growing population of Nairobi, Kenya. Each matatu follows a different, winding path, stopping frequently to take new customers.

 

Before partnering with Orwa, White and his colleagues set out to develop a map of the transportation system, as knowledge of routes and fares had been relatively inconsistent. To improve transportation reliability for Nairobi inhabitants, the Digital Matatus team and local students used cell phones and GPS devices to track matatus across the city. After a long period of data collection, they were able to format their data into General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and successfully input it into Google Maps. This highly collaborative effort between students, government officials, entrepreneurs, matatu owners, and passengers demonstrates the importance of trust, public data, and cellular technology in advancing development projects. In the last few years, Digital Matatus has expanded into other cities across the world.

 

Pippa Biddle, an American writer known for her commentary on voluntourism, visited digitalDalton to enlighten students on the potential consequences of our seemingly good actions.

 

Ms. Biddle explained that although our intentions may be to help others, many people do not focus on the outcomes of their actions and lose interest after they have fulfilled their personal satisfaction. During her presentation, Ms. Biddle and students redefined the term impact to encompass the effects of both the input and the outcomes of an action. By focusing on both input and outcomes, the actions will actually be beneficial for the people they intend to help. Pippa was an amazing and powerful speaker who shared special insight on how to truly make a positive impact.

 

Tara Clerkin, a Senior Coordinator of Agriculture, Climate, and Partnerships at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), stopped in digitalDalton to share IRC’s organizational mission. In her visit, Ms. Clerked talked about the nature of the international refugee crisis, migrant displacement, and engaged students in a discussion about climate change and how its affected the global population.

 

During the virtual presentation, students learned that climate migrants are an increasing population group and that humanitarian aid is essential to help support these affected areas. Ms. Clerkin also shared how the IRC addresses humanitarian issues in countries around the world, explaining that the majority of their staff live in the countries they are aiding. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, Ms. Clerkin’s talk was both inspiring and motivational as she taught the class how to get involved with advocacy and what they can do to make a difference in the future.

 

Madeline Miller, Campaign Director at Ad Council, joined history students to speak about how her organization works with different influencers and platforms to create and distribute public service announcements. Ms. Miller spoke about the Ad Council’s impact, goals, and its process of producing messages. She specifically spoke about how the Ad Council uses intense research to identify the needs of the people and experts within the community they are targeting. She spoke about the framework of the campaign and how they are able to reach their goal of making an impact on a community through a process that includes exposure, awareness, and engagement.