The Ask
PCI wanted to revolutionize the way pastoralists in Africa find pasture and water for their animals using the power of satellite and mobile technology. The idea was to do this using mobile services to show current water and vegetation conditions on localized grazing maps, enabling pastoralists to make more accurate and cost-effective migration decisions, improve pasture management and collaboration, reduce the risk of herd loss, and ultimately transform their lives.
The Observation
Pastoralists in Africa face significant challenges in locating water and pasture for their livestock, leading to frequent herd losses and inefficiencies in migration decisions. A scalable, technology-driven solution was required to address these challenges and empower communities with actionable data.The Process
- Pilot and Growth Support
- Guided PCI in piloting AfriScout and scaling its reach across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
- Technology Development
- Developed an Android-based map app, accessible on the Play Store.
- Created a web-based Management Dashboard to manage the platform and generate actionable reports.
- Community Engagement
- Encouraged app adoption through local awareness campaigns, resulting in rapid user growth.
- Facilitated the sharing of app insights among community members, amplifying its impact.
Deliverables
- Android App: An intuitive, map-based app showing water and vegetation conditions in real-time.
- Management Dashboard: A web platform for system administration and reporting.
The Outcome
With support from MADE, PCI managed to pilot and grow Afriscout. So far, AfriScout has mapped over 538,000 square miles of communal grazing lands in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania where there are currently more than 11,000 registered app users. In 2019, 350 new users downloaded the app each month and, in turn, shared information with at least seven other families. Afriscout has the following key components:
- Android app – a map based app available for download on the Play Store
- Management Dashboard – a web based dashboard allowing for the management of the platform and generation of reports
Afriscout has been featured by Aljazeera, Reuters and Voice of America News and was a Google Impact Challenge Kenya Finalist.