Latest Contributions by WilliamTarpai

EZRA,   Can you draft a map for us to begin our collaborations of Bomet County, pin pointing where the schools that have already received books and computer equipment (thanks for Books for Africa and Safina) are located?   We need to be making lists in each school identifying teachers and students from each school interested in this project, and creating opportunities to introduce both teachers and students to why we are advocating for introducing learning mapping and spatial analysis skill sets.   Let's make this an agenda item for our next SAFINA Zoom call....     ... View more

Both EZRA and I enjoy being part of this ESRI community - WHY?  for the most part, we believe in the work we are doing and know it must be speeded up.  Can our work be sped up by a collaboration with ESRI in general and ESRI East Africa speicifcally?  We think so, and can keep up this conversation and want to support teachers in schools that are best able to bring more student voices to the table, and removes the barriers we are facing, and continues to build infrastrructure needed in rural development..... ... View more

Published since I posted on 4-4-26, the CASE STUDY GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS 2026.  SDSN and Global Schools provide lots of good things happening in countries around the world to motivate young people to help imagine a better world.  https://files.unsdsn.org/Global%20Schools%20Case%20Study%20Guide%20Volume%203_2026_Final.pdf Experienced mappers who would like to help GIS learners acquire and hone their mapping skill set may wish to contact and offer your services to promote the work of these educators....  ... View more

Since I first responded above, the SDSN/Global Schools CASE.STUDY GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS 2026 has been published. - The case studies help describe teachers around the globe who are 'practicing education for sustainable development'.  Allow me to urge experienced mappers, and members of this community to download and ponder....  https://files.unsdsn.org/Global%20Schools%20Case%20Study%20Guide%20Volume%203_2026_Final.pdf.    A young African recently posted "...    The 17 SDGs are a shared blueprint for building a world where people and the planet can thrive.  They address issues such as: • Poverty and hunger • Education and health • Gender equality and inclusion • Clean energy and climate action • Peace, justice, and partnerships" Speeding up successful development outcomes is all about getting more people, especially students involved.... ... View more

Oops I neglected to add a link to the CASE STUDY GUIIDE FOR EDUCATORS. 2026.   Anyone in this ESRI community who may wish to contact any of the educators featured in this guide offering to help them build and publish maps, please be my guest - https://files.unsdsn.org/Global%20Schools%20Case%20Study%20Guide%20Volume%203_2026_Final.pdf  ... View more

Thanks @JesseCloutier The question by @BriannaEttley is really one which could be asked and answered quite differently depending on how much time one may have spent outside of advanced economies, or whether you were brought up in places where development progress has NOT occurred so rapidly.  @EzraCheruiyot might have answered different than I, as he is from Kenya, and working to help young people be introduced and hone their GIS skill sets.  Young people who may still live in areas where indoor plumbing doesn't exist, where electricity allowing them to study at night is not dpendable, where disaswter risk reduction messages aren't always helping them avoid climate risks from flooding or poor infrastrucuture.  Hopefully he and I will be able to present Story Maps made by students describing surrounding around them as they gorw up.... ... View more

Wow, great post - The Leadership Summit is so critical to being able to give opportunities to those most in need.   The World Bank Group President at the 2026 Summer Session said, "the right building blocks are important to be productive.  Good primary and secondary education are important.  ...talent is everywhere but opportunities are not"...   What can our leadership be doing to get to a better place for all of us? ... View more

Having been living in Peshawar, Pakistan in the days leading up to 9/11/2001, as well as for almost 2 years afterwards, and having traveled in all 5 of the former Soviet Union states in Central Asia previously, being exposed to the importance of GIS while in Pakistan changed my life sustantially.  The aha moments started coming fast and furiously as I was able to dig down into data by location: it really started me thinking how important the work of coding is.    Now more than 2 decades later, changing times are requiring changing policies.   I appreciate ESRI Communities commentaries.   As we promote peaceful development, and advance sustainability, our work promotes human and civil rights, and the possibility for better lives for all who live in local communities. ... View more

Thanks @JordanDuft  for posting.  It has taken me several efforts to go through it all, but definitely about the need for timely discussions to be engaged on this platform.  the importance of live training can NOT be overstated!   I'm planning to spend lots of time fully understanding what you have posted as well as digging down into the numerous links. ... View more

Thank you Ezra and Tonny,  Your support for local development in Bomet County is noteworthy.  I am hoping to gather mappers who are interested in Lorcal or international but sustainable development projects to help us set up a distinct ESRI COMMUNITY for Kenyan development.    Keep up your good works.   ... View more

@Gisbert61   Thanks for posting to start this discussion.  @EzraCheruiyot  Ezra and I were also seeking both locals and internationals to help us introducing students in Bomet County (NE Kenya near Lake Victoria) get introduced and honing mapping skill sets.    Bomet and Machakos Counties have recently received 4 shipping containers from Books for Africa, and people are beginning to read lots of new books.  We are trying to help student prepare Story Maps about their experiences.   ... View more

@KusalJana   Allow me to provide a link you may wish to ponder if you are interested in work in East Africa https://kenya.un.org/en/sdgs. Write to one or more of the UN agencies in Nairobi, and let them know what you are interested in.   ... View more

Great post and wonderful discussions, Thanks to everyone in the community responding.   @EzraCheruiyot   Imagine how we have to plan our approaches working with students in the field who may or may not have dependable access to the internet, but are just starting to learn how to build their skill sets It reminded me of the ESRI START UP page https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/partners/our-partners/startups?rsource=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.esri.com%2Fen-us%2Fabout%2Fesri-partner-network%2Four-partners%2Fesri-startup-program  ... View more

@EzraCheruiyot. Although we do have various level of GIS education and experience, neither of us have GIS in our job titles today. But we have now been able to deliver thousands of books, but only a limited amount of reconditioned computers to some of these 9 Bomet County, Kenya school: 1. Tenwek High School 2. Chebonei Girls High School 3. Chebilat Boys High School 4. Itembe Secondary School 5. Kaplong Boys High School 6. Kitaima Junior School 7. Kaplong Girls High School 8. Kiriba Integrated Secondary School 9. St.Mary Mixed Junior School Now we are trying to introduce local students to mapping and spacial analysis.  But we have many challenges:as a recent Safina Empowerment report documented: Infrastructure remains a major bottleneck. Only Tenwek High School had a functional library; the other eight schools had none. A targeted 2023 study in Bomet Central Sub-County (highly relevant to the project area) found that 86.3% of schools lacked ICT laboratories and had no access to digital tools, while 82.1% lacked functional libraries. Additional gaps include classroom shortages, inadequate sanitary facilities, and unreliable electricity—critical barriers as Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) incorporates digital literacy and practical activities.    We are trying to provide good leadership and looks to our friends for help...   ... View more