KoboToolbox Ambassadors update: Supporting locally-driven impact and data communities around the world

Officially launched in February 2024, the KoboToolbox Ambassadors Program aims to strengthen data capacities for nonprofit organizations worldwide by building local user communities, fostering collaboration among data professionals, and providing training opportunities in local languages. With hundreds of applications received, our first cohort of Ambassadors was selected in May 2024.

A volunteer-driven initiative, the Ambassadors Program has already made a significant impact supporting KoboToolbox users and growing our community. With 30 participants from 28 different countries across 8 regions, the Program is playing a major role in advancing data inclusivity and strengthening local data capacities on a global scale. This volunteer network of data experts from diverse backgrounds has actively engaged in community building and provided training to support local frontline organizations to collect and use data for informed decision-making.

Impact of the KoboToolbox Ambassadors Program in 2024

• 673 people received capacity strengthening support from Ambassadors
• 30 trainings were delivered by Ambassadors
• 92% of training participants indicated an improvement in their data skills
• 11 community building initiatives were led by Ambassadors

Highlights from Ambassador initiatives

In countries around the world, KoboToolbox Ambassadors have volunteered their time and expertise to help nonprofit organizations in education, humanitarian response, public health and governance, development, and environmental protection. Fostering data inclusivity at the community level, they have delivered training and support in a range of local languages, including French, Arabic, Nepali, Malagasy, Spanish, and Shona.

“Many of our Ambassadors have active roles in frontline organizations that are providing crucial aid in humanitarian emergencies, disaster response, and contexts of displacement across the globe. They have dedicated their time to help others access KoboToolbox and increase data capacities in their communities. A key contribution of the Program is our Ambassadors’ first-hand knowledge of local contexts, enabling them to deliver targeted trainings to local organizations in local languages.” - David Luswata, Project Manager at Kobo

In Colombia, Ambassadors Estefanía Avendaño Niño and Sebastian Gallego Duque supported Kobo staff experts to deliver a free in-person training workshop entirely in Spanish for over 80 participants. The training helped build crucial data capacities for more than 40 local and international organizations to support humanitarian response efforts for displaced and vulnerable people in the region. To help develop key data management skills and introduce new users to KoboToolbox, Estefanía and Sebastian have also delivered training sessions in form development to over 65 participants from organizations across Colombia, including Bogotá, Arauca, Norte de Santander, and Nariño.

“In 2024, the Ambassadors in Colombia organized 8 virtual training sessions on the general operation and use of KoboToolbox. Participants learned about survey programming using the web option and the use of XLSForms. The participants represented organizations from different sectors throughout the country.” - Estefanía Avendaño Niño, KoboToolbox Ambassador

In Senegal, Ambassador Moumine Latoundji has delivered 12 trainings in French to more than 270 participants on a range of topics, including an introduction to KoboToolbox and form building basics as well as mobile data collection, data management, and monitoring and evaluation. Through his outreach activities during the Program, Moumine has grown the local KoboToolbox community in his region to 128 members across 11 countries. Bringing together participants from a variety of different sectors, the group holds weekly meet-ups to collaborate and exchange knowledge.

“As an Ambassador for KoboToolbox in Senegal, I took the initiative to create this online community in July 2024, which now includes over 125 members … We now offer access to our sessions to members from over 10 different nations [in West Africa] … Our members, working in fields such as monitoring and evaluation, research, international development, health, and agriculture, actively participate in online sessions that cover topics like form design, KoboCollect configuration, data management, and the use of KoboToolbox in various professional contexts.” - Moumine Latoundji, KoboToolbox Ambassador

In Madagascar, Ambassador Mandranto Nantenaina Andriamanantsoa has organized nine community building and training initiatives to support data collection in agriculture, sustainable development, environmental protection, and wildlife conservation. To grow his local user community, Mandranto coordinated with leaders from nonprofits in the region to collaborate on outreach activities and training delivery. In addition to providing direct technical support for form building to individual users and facilitating community meet-ups in the local language of Malagasy, Mandranto has delivered trainings to over 40 participants from more than 20 different organizations in Madagascar.

In Uganda, Ambassador Allan Mbabani joined Kobo’s Project Manager David Luswata at the Renewable Energy Conference & EXPO in Kampala to promote local engagement and help grow our global KoboToolbox user community. Allan also delivered 2 training sessions on form creation and data management using KoboToolbox to 67 participants from 39 local and international organizations from diverse sectors, including research, education, public health, human rights, and development. A leader in the OpenStreetMap community in his region, Allan has leveraged his expertise in mapping and data visualization to build data capacities in Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana, enhancing disaster response, digital inclusivity, and access to technology in under-served communities.

In Sudan, Ambassador Abdalla Osman has provided remote capacity building sessions for international and local organizations operating in education, development, humanitarian response, and health. Abdalla delivered essential training in form building and data management for Save the Children International Sudan’s local implementing partners, fostering collaboration among participants and introducing local organizations to KoboToolbox. In addition, Abdalla also delivered a virtual training on mobile data collection using KoboCollect to over 80 participants from the Sudanese Society of Hypertension, medical students from the University of Gadarif, and practicing physicians from communities across the country, including Khashm el-Girba, Dongola, Atbara, and Port Sudan, to support the local MMM24 Sudan preventative healthcare initiative.

In Zimbabwe, Ambassador Kumbirai Nicholas Matingo has organized community meet-ups and participated in in-person outreach activities, introducing local stakeholders to the KoboToolbox platform and improving access to data technology at the local level. He has also delivered remote trainings in English and the local language of Shona on form building and data management with KoboToolbox to over 50 participants working in research, education, health, and economic development. Bringing together diverse local organizations, Kumbirai’s training participants are engaged in vital initiatives in communities across Zimbabwe to advance sustainable livelihoods for girls and women, improve access to healthcare, and support disadvantaged children and youth to access educational opportunities.

“Students and young professionals are now able to easily collect data for their research, allowing them to transition from paper-based data collection by providing them with a means for easy data analysis and management through the KoboToolbox platform … The setting up of a [localized] community around KoboToolbox has allowed for inclusivity, collaborations, and teamwork among community members, enabling them to leverage data for their next big projects.” - Kumbirai Nicholas Matingo, KoboToolbox Ambassador

Looking ahead

Thanks to the initiatives of our volunteer Ambassadors, local organizations in countries around the world have improved access to KoboToolbox’s data technology as well as training opportunities in local languages. As a result, the Ambassadors Program is advancing our shared mission of empowering local organizations with high quality data tools to create positive change and lead sustainable development.

Looking ahead, Kobo aims to expand the Ambassadors Program to engage more local actors in communities across the globe. Together with our volunteer Ambassadors, we’ll continue to drive data inclusivity and accessible technology through community building activities, regional coordination, and capacity strengthening resources for local organizations.

Thank you to our incredible volunteer Ambassadors for all their efforts and for sharing their expertise to promote locally-led data-driven impact!