We were delighted to see this recent CNN article about a Kenyan chief using the social network Twitter to thwart a robbery!
Once the chief in the town of Lanet Umoja discovered that thieves were breaking into a neighbor’s house, he sent a tweet that local residents picked up through a free text messaging service.
Once residents surrounded the house, the would-be thieves fled.
Not only does this story show the power of a unified community, but it also demonstrates the reach of social media and cell phones in Kenya. The use of cell phones in that country has increased dramatically since 2000.
Janet Tinsley, CFCA project director for Kenya, said that cell phones have revolutionized the way that people connect there.
Even though landline telephones were historically too expensive for most families, cell phones have become more available as the government loosened controls on the telephone industry.
“A new, basic cell phone still costs around $100 in Kenya, far out of the reach of most of the population,” Janet said. “However, there are very vibrant used and black market cell phone markets operating in nearly every corner of the country. Read more
