Google has announced a Sh100 million grant to train over 100,000 Kenyan smallholder farmers in digital skills. Google also launched Street View and Motorbike Mode on Google Maps for the first time ever in Africa.
Google is partnering with One Acre Fund, a non-profit organization to provide training as well as products and services to smallholder farmers aimed at digitalising their agribusiness operations and tasks.
Country Manager for Google Kenya, Charles Murito said “In Kenya, the agriculture sector employs over 40% of the total population, contributing to 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We want to see the power of technology elevate small-scale farming. We hope that through this initiative, we will see a positive impact in food security, job creation and GDP growth in Kenya.”
For smallholder farmers, technology is often the game changer that enables efficiency and increased productivity from the agricultural output.
Google Maps’ Motorbike Mode
Because boda-bodas are a convenient and affordable way to move and transport goods from one place to another for most Kenyans, Google has announced a dedicated travel mode for motorcycles, which will provide directions and voice navigation.
With Google Maps’ new Motorbike Mode, users across Kenya will now be able to get directions and turn-by-turn navigation, to suggest routes that are more efficient and provide an optimal travel experience.
Street View
Google also Unveiled Street View with over 9,500 km of beautiful imagery of Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Nyeri, and Malindi available on Google Maps and accessible to everyone around the world. With Street View, Kenyans and tourists alike will now get a more immersive experience as they navigate and explore cities and destinations around the country.
Street View is a great example of Google products which enhance the way that individuals and communities search for and interact with information that is most important to them.
“We aim to build products that improve the lives of as many people as possible. By staying focused on the needs, behaviours and concerns of the people for whom we’re developing our products, we can more effectively build for everyone, “Jeff Albertson, Program Manager, Google Maps, Next Billion Users said.