The collection and use of data is vital in all levels of community development in any society. This theme was highlighted recently at the first data festival or ‘Data Tamasha,’ which was hosted by Tanzania Data Lab (dLab).
More than 270 people attended the Data Tamasha 2017. During the event, 22 innovators showcased how they were using data to bring about positive impact in their local communities. Among these innovators were eleven of the DLIIC first window winners, including Rose Funja, whose Dropoutness Likelihood Index Tool had helped reduce school dropouts in Mbeya District, and Bukhary Kibonajoro, whose OKOA platform had helped 1,135 people check whether medicines were available before visiting their local clinic. Their stories and many more can be found in the Winners section of our website.
Officiating the opening of the Data Tamasha, the Senior Lecturer and Principal of the College of Information and Communication Technology (CoICT), Dr. Mussa Kissaka said data collection and use are of paramount importance because they help in making evidence-based decisions in all levels of community development. Dr. Kissaka announced that College of Information and Communication Technology (CoICT) is launching a new Master’s Degree course in Data Science, and invited those who would like to become experts in Data Science to train in his college.
Data Tamasha was organized by the Data Collaborative for Local Impact Initiative (DCLI) and the three data-oriented projects: Tanzania Data Lab (dLab), Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge (DLIIC), and Data Zetu. Read more about these projects and their participants’ use stories in the Data Tamasha Booklet, below.
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