Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) For Inventory Of Safaricom Foundation Projects.A Case Study: Nairobi County

Abstract

The Safaricom Foundation provides a formal process for charitable contributions to communities, community groups and Non-Governmental Organisations in Kenya who are key partners in responding to social and economic development issues in the country. It supports initiatives and projects that provide sustainable solutions to the most pressing social challenges. The study demonstrated the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) for inventory of the Safaricom Foundation projects in Nairobi County. The projects that the foundation has funded in Nairobi County were mapped to determine their distribution. A geo­ database for the projects was created and analysis on the distribution of the projects in the county done.

The study revealed that the projects were clustered in distribution. The directional distribution pattern revealed that the overall direction of growth of the projects in the county is tending towards the divisions to the west of the County. The study also revealed that the distribution of the education facilities funded by the foundation is random but appear to be clustered in Central Nairobi. It was further revealed that the distribution of health centres that have been funded by the Safaricom Foundation was fairly dispersed but concentrated in three divisions of Central Nairobi, Westlands and Dagoretti.

It was concluded that mapping using GIS is a flexible, time-efficient and cost-effective method for use in inventory for a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program like the Safaricom Foundation. It was concluded that GIS is a powerful decision support tool that can be employed by the CSR for fund allocation and project distribution.