Increasing Access to security laws
DCAF
In the face of growing threats, The Sahel is reinforcing the presence of its security forces throughout the territory. However, larger security operations may also spark tensions with the population, particularly if their legal role is unclear to civil society.
To anticipate potential issues, The GeoAnalytics Center is collaborating with DCAF- Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance with the objective of making Mali and Niger’s security sector laws openly accessible for the first time. The new legal repository will facilitate the work of parliament members, NGOs, civil society and journalists working on security and related topics in the country.
Access to the law is an important prerequisite of good governance and we are glad to support DCAF advance its mission in the region.
"Mon école numérique"
Unicef
Locally adapted digital technologies enable primary and secondary school students to take ownership of numerical tools, to develop effective self-directed learning skills and to cooperate as they learn. The Geoanalytics Center is proud to partner with UNICEF and the Nigerien Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education to implement "Mon école numérique", with the objective of providing content and training for the use of solar powered tablets in primary and secondary schools across Niger. We are now in our third reiteration of our project, and once completed, the project will have reached over 8.000 students. As importantly, the project’s software is developed locally, thus reinforcing the local tech environment. We are proud to partner with Niger Digital, a young start-up which is developing the program’s platform.
We are also proud of the support received from the FC Barcelona Foundation, which has kindly donated in-kind material, such as Barça jerseys to motivate students!
Note: These pictures show the tablets of Orange Telecome, who kindly supported us at teh beginning of the project
Trust building and security
(Médias & FDS)
DCAF
In times of crisis, journalists and security services need to trust each other and collaborate to accurately inform the population and avoid crisis. GeoA, in collaboration with Nigerien organisations RAIL and RJ-SPC, is proud to support DCAF in the framework of a programme funded by the German Federal Foreign Office in creating a multi-actor platform, composed of journalists, bloggers and spokespersons of the Nigerien security forces. The project provides Security Sector Reform trainings and organises activities which allow them to better understand each other's roles, such as visiting media outlets and police academies as well as jointly participating on radio programmes.
Bridge Youth
Mercy Corps
GeoA is proud to support our long term partner, Mercy Corps, during the implementation of USAID’s Youth Connect program, which focuses on equipping at risk youth with technical skills, networks, and capital that increase their economic opportunities. Our role is to test and implement digital technologies that provide youth with practical information and support behavioral change. For example, youth will learn to disseminate their acquired skills on youtube, making their tricks of the trade available to other youth throughout the region.
Election monitoring and
network analysis
CSSF
Niger is catching up on the use of social media. Its youth are particularly active and the country now counts with an enthusiastic cohort of influencers. After using network analytics to identify key influencers, GeoA and the Fondation Hirondelle are promoting balanced, responsible online election content, mitigating potential tensions and minimising misinformation dissemination—with a specific focus on including women. The project allows them to understand the ethical and legal implications of communicating on social media and to familiarise themselves with technical tools around Fake News detection and quality media production. As part of the project’s research objective, we are also tracking the use of social media platforms during the elections, engaging with over 200 Facebook and Twitter accounts. .
Covid-19 Motion Videos
Unicef
How do you raise kid’s awareness around Covid-19? Convinced of the role that tech may play, GeoA is working with UNICEF to develop a series of motion videos that will be screened in schools across the country. The videos are developed in collaboration with UNICEF and the Nigerien government, and, as importantly, are disseminated in local languages such as Hausa and Djerma. Once displayed in the schools, GeoA will increase their reach by designing a targeted social media campaign.
Geospatial detection of artisanal mines
World Bank
In collaboration with the World Bank, GeoA is implementing a geospatial analysis of the small-scale gold mining sector in Niger through satellite imagery and automatic image classification. Thanks to our in-house developed software, we have scanned roughly half of Niger’s geography, allowing us to see how the industry is evolving over time, and to detect mines that were so far unaccounted for. This project is part of a wider effort to improve social and environmental conditions in the small-scale mining sector. The project's results will be shared with the government of Niger and the NGO community, allowing them to optimize their support to artisanal miners.
