Research Data KE Working Group Update: 14 Sept 2020

Photo Caption:

This sign was posted on a glass window of a butchery in a Kenyan rural town (Nyeri). The butchery uses English to remind customers of what has become accepted COVID-19 prevention protocol. The sign reminding the reader to wear a face mask reflects how the practice of wearing face masks has traveled globally and become adopted and accepted as standard COVID-19 prevention. The use of English in this rural Kenyan context is notable where the everyday language of spoken communication is primarily either the vernacular mother tongue (in Nyeri, the language of Gikuyu) or Swahili.

The COVID-19 project of the Research Data KE Working Group collates news and public discourse identified by members of the working group that are of interest to thinking about the COVID19 epidemic in/from/about Kenya. We are particularly interested in archiving and tracking how media and other public channels are discussing the pandemic in order to identify relevant research resources and translate our individual experiences and data into collective knowledge that can support communities.

Click here for a photo essay of images from Kenya which we plan to continue to add to over time.

About the Research Data KE Working Group

This Working Group is interested in the intersection between open data technologies, digital humanities and research data practices in Kenya and working towards more equitable and inclusive systems of knowledge production and infrastructure by/in/for Kenya. This working group was born out of an event entitled "Archiving Kenya's Past and Futures" (more details here) held at one of the oldest libraries in the country on November 12, 2019. The group is comprised of researchers, archival specialists, librarians, open data technologists, NGO and government representatives. To join the Working Group, sign up here.