Dear Jen

I would like to share my experience. Under one of the project I am =ocumenting the pre and post knowledge levels of ICT tool in water =ector.

I selected a mapping tool ( Micro Mapper ) , which has been developed in =ultilingual format. Hence the local language Marathi was used. The =nglish vision can be downloaded from following url for a nominal Rs. =00 charge. http://www.micromict.net/jidnyasa/micromapper.html Other =anguage versions are send on CD if requested .

In India , State Maharashtra , district Ratnagiri two village were =elected in July 08 . Luckily both the villages have computer which was =eing unused . We trained a local guy to train the school student of =lass 7th , to collect water related information of the village on a map =nd digitize in the mapper . The exercise was done by the students in a =pan of two months. The knowledge levels related to water and sanitation =as captured through FGD and survey before the tools was used and the =fter picture will be captured in the February 09

The community has found the tool user friendly and simple to use. The =ool will further exists with the community for decision making . the =re knowledge survey report can be shared with the members. How ever the =hallenge is that after the study is over in a span of 4 -5 months -- =ow the community updates the information and put to continues usage for =he watsan sector.

Best wishes

Dr.Megha Phansalkar












----- Original Message -----
From: Jen Osha
To: Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and =echnologies
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:26 PM
Subject: [ppgis] RE: Help needed with participatory mapping in =outhern WV


Hi Phil,

The biggest problem that I am having is getting people to want to come =o a group meeting. I have been working in the area for about 7 years =ow, but the atmosphere is very charged regarding mountaintop removal. =olks don't want to show up at a meeting where their neighbors will see =heir car. Also, people are very very sick, and many can't leave their =omes.

I'm not ready to give up on it yet, just stepping back to reassess =hank you for your ideas,

Jen


On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Stafford, Phil B. =staffor@indiana.edu> wrote:

Jen: We have had good luck with mapping "in the field" if you will. =ith kids, we call it a walkabout – it starts and ends with a large =IS projection of the neighborhood, suitable for notetaking and marking =p. We create journals to go with it.

With a larger region, I wonder if an excursion in a van might be an =ngaging and stimulating way to organize expression around place. I used =o do that with groups of elders with dementia and it's amazing what can =ome through direct contact with the places of our own biographies.

Phil Stafford, Center on Aging and Community

Indiana University





From: Jen Osha [mailto:lobayero@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 11:10 AM
To: Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and =echnologies
Subject: [ppgis] Help needed with participatory mapping in southern =V



Hello!



I am working on a participatory mapping project in the coalfields of =outhern West Virginia. My research focuses on the impacts of =ountaintop removal coal mining on local residents, and their ideas for =ossible alternative land use. I had two questions that I was hoping =or some ideas on.



First of all, can anyone recommend to me websites where =articipatory maps have been uploaded and geotagged with photos, video, =tc?



Second of all, I have run into a problem with my methods. I had =lanned to conduct interviews as well as focus groups, with one of the =rimary purposes of the focus groups to do mental mapping. However, now =hat I am in the field, there have been two changes. First of all, all =f my interviewees want to interact with the map during their interview, =o I have ended up with mental mapping contributions through my =nterviews. However, I have tried two times to get a focus group to =ork, and have failed miserably each time due to the high tension in the =oalfields right now (one of the reasons.) Has anyone experienced this =roblem, or have any suggestions about how I might be able to alter my =ethods to compensate?



Thank you all for your time and help.



Jen Osha







The Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and =echnologies is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted by www.ppgis.net =GIS, PPGIS and community mapping bibliography is found at =ttp://ppgis.iapad.org/bibliography.htm Dgroups is a joint initiative of =ellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, IICD, OneWorld, UNAIDS --- You are currently =ubscribed to ppgis as: staffor@indiana.edu To unsubscribe send a blank =mail to %%email.unsub%%

The Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and =echnologies is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted by www.ppgis.net
PGIS, PPGIS and community mapping bibliography is found at =ttp://ppgis.iapad.org/bibliography.htm

Dgroups is a joint initiative of Bellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, IICD, =neWorld, UNAIDS
--- You are currently subscribed to ppgis as: lobayero@gmail.com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to %%email.unsub%%

The Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and =echnologies is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted by www.ppgis.net =GIS, PPGIS and community mapping bibliography is found at =ttp://ppgis.iapad.org/bibliography.htm Dgroups is a joint initiative of =ellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, IICD, OneWorld, UNAIDS --- You are currently =ubscribed to ppgis as: drmegha@hotmail.com To unsubscribe send a blank =mail to %%email.unsub%

posted 14 January 2009 by Dr. Megha Phansalkar from