Ushahidi means “testimony” or “bearing witness” in Swahili. It was created in early 2008, after a disputed election was followed by violence in Kenya, by a group of Kenyan technology bloggers who wanted to document what was happening and draw attention to emergencies.
The platform lets anyone report an incident in real time by text message, social media or the web. The reports, with photos and descriptions, are placed on a shared map. Because the software is open source, communities around the world have adapted it for elections, disasters and crises.
In 2013 the MacArthur Foundation gave Ushahidi its Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.