In the Old Town of Mombasa County, UN-Habitat, in partnership with Swahilipot Hub facilitated a training workshop aimed at impacting the youth with data collection skills for the first Urban Monitoring Framework pilot project. 45 youth, including 5 youth from Nairobi’s informal settlement of Mathare participated in the workshop, which was facilitated by UN-Habitat Data Analysis expert, Mr. Dennis Mwaniki.
During the training, the youth were introduced to UN-Habitat’s asset mapping tool, the City Scan or Profiling tool, a rapid digital data analytical tool that supports cities to identify challenges and opportunities for accelerating SDG implementation. They were also trained on how to facilitate asset identification and street mapping using software such as Kobo toolbox and Qfield. The training also included practical exercises that were evaluated by the trainer, and to further enhance the quality efficiency and effectiveness of the training and data collection process, ten (10) tablets and airtime were provided to the participants. An added advantage of the selected youth was that they had smart phones, which facilitated downloading of the relevant applications to facilitate the data collection process.
After the 2-days training workshop, the trained youth, now enumerators, facilitated the data collection process in Mombasa’s sub-counties: Mombasa Central Business District (CBD); Shanzu, Bamburi; Mkomani/Kongowea; Kizingo; Mikindani; Tudor; Makande; Mvita; Likoni and Mtongwe, from 3rd to 10th June 2022, under supervision from three (3) supervisors from Swahilipot Hub. As a result of the data collection process, over 400 data points and 14,698 street sections were mapped. However, the enumerators had faced some challenges during the data collection process, in delayed clearance by local chiefs, unfavorable weather conditions and insecurity in some sub-counties.
Similarly, a 2-day training on data collection was facilitated in Mathare, Nairobi, on the 15th and 16th of June, 2022. From the 11 participants, 5 had been part of the training in Mombasa. During the training workshop, the youth tailored data collection questions around the Mathare community, with additional training on how to use UN-Habitat’s mapping tools also being provided. The training culminated in a 5-day data collection activity that started on 17th June, 2022, in Mathare’s Mlango Kubwa ward. The data collection activity led to 2400 survey responses, with data collection for Mathare’s Mabatini and Hospital wards being postponed due to limited time and the World Urban Forum. It is however expected that after presentation and feedback of the collected data, data collection in the other wards would resume.
“The data collection process and training impacted me with a new skill. I didn’t have any experience on how to use the Kobo tool and Qsite applications before, but now I know. It was also an eye opener on how Mlango Kubwa ward has limited resources such as public schools and hospitals, that are essential for the community”, said James Mwangi, an enumerator from Mlango Kubwa, Mathare.