Africa Data Hub Shares Laughter, Learning and Strategy in Nairobi

Africa Data Hub recently marked a significant milestone in our journey, where team members from our partner organisations convened in person for the first time. We’ve had many virtual gatherings but never been able to all be in the same place, at the same time. 

Our last attempt to bring us all together in November 2022 was thwarted by visa issues and meant that our Nigerian colleagues from Orodata Science could not join us. Despite that deep disappointment, we tried again and found Nairobi a welcoming base for us in July 2023! This pivotal gathering also coincided with the highly anticipated DataFest Africa [link] event in July 2023 that we were also excited to attend. 

The first few days of our time together was spent reflecting on our work in the Africa Data Hub. Being asked, “what is one thing that you are most proud of in ADH this year?” was a great ice breaker and set the tone for these discussions as ones of collaboration and celebration. Some of our major achievements over the last two years include: 

• Deploying six interactive data tools
• Hosting 126 datasets in our data repository including 12 high-value datasets that we collected ourselves
• Hosting 80 training and capacity building sessions with journalists and newsrooms from across the continent 
• Developed two online training courses 
• Supporting the publication of 97 data news stories 
• Publishing a research report that analysed 1 810 news stories about COVID-19 from African newsrooms over two years

This moment allowed for a collective appreciation of the progress achieved thus far, generating a sense of gratitude, humility, and enthusiasm for the future.

Each partner organisation also shared about their upcoming projects. Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as these products and ideas are rolled out over the continent, including details on the most ambitious data collection project in Nigeria, an in-depth visualisation piece that explores the fundamental issue of climate debt on the continent and even more captivating and contagious content on TikTok. 

In an attempt to keep things exciting and get the most out of our time together, we hired a bus! Rather than taking individual taxis, this gave us plenty of extra time to chat and connect while travelling to and from the conference, to dinners and other moments - like ten-pin bowling! The friendly game exposed the competitors amongst us and gave us all a good laugh as we witnessed some very questionable bowling techniques! 

Although we are so grateful for the way we can seamlessly achieve our impact through virtual technology, there is just nothing like being together in person. Taking the chance to build connections and solidify our relationships means a stronger foundation on which to build into the future. We are inspired and ready for the next season of Africa Data Hub. Asante, Nairobi! Until we see each other again!