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iHub By Jessica Colaco / April 21, 2011

Ushahidi Wins V2030 award for Social Equity and Poverty reduction

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Driven by the need to see Kenya emerge from an economic decline and to move beyond Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) to Sustained Social & Economic Development among other factors the Kenyan government, through its National Economic and Social Council (NESC) unveiled a grand national vision strategy for Kenya; the Vision 2030.

The Vision 2030 is meant to sustain the growth momentum achieved since 2003 where the GDP rose from 0.6% in 2002 to 6.1% in 2006, and also to achieve the targeted 10% annual growth rate. Such growth is expected to catapult the country to a middle income status by the year 2030. It is anchored on three key pillars; Economic, Social and Political pillars.

Economic Pillar
The goal for this pillar is to maintain a sustained economic growth of 10% p.a. over the next 25 years. A robust and collaborative approach was followed to identify those sectors with the greatest potential to drive growth in the Kenyan economy:

1. Tourism
2. Agriculture
3. Wholesale and retail trade
4. Manufacturing
5. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
6. Financial Services

Social Pillar
The Social Pillar aspires to build a just and cohesive society that enjoys equitable social development in a clean and secure environment:

1. Education & Training
2. Health Sector
3. Water and Sanitation
4. Environment
5. Housing and Urbanisation
6. Gender, Vulnerable groups & Youth
7. Social Equity and Poverty Reduction

Political Pillar
The Vision proposes reform of the governance system through a range of constitutional, legal and administrative reforms to create issue-based, people centred, result-oriented and accountable democratic political system.

According to the Kenya ICT Board, of the companies that participated in the applications process:

• 47 responded to the Education and Training sector.
• Water and Sanitation received no applicants.
• Tourism received only three.

Source: http://www.connected.go.ke

11 companies received a V2030 ICT Innovation Award at a ceremony held in Diani, Mombasa on the 20th of April 2011 as part of the Kenya ICT Board’s Connected Kenya Summit. The winners each got a commemorative trophy, certificate and $1,000 prize money from Accenture. Ushahidi received the award for the Social Equity and Poverty reduction sector and this why !

Ushahidi: Creating a New Narrative from Ushahidi on Vimeo.

Here is a list of the other winners in the different sectors.

Author : Jessica Colaco

Founding iHub Manager - 2010 - 2011 at iHub, Research Director @iHubResearch, Mobile and Robotics Tech Evangelist @iHub_Robotics, Co-Founder of @WMIAfrica and @AkiraChix, @TED Global Fellow 2009 and Guitarist.