Community Spotlight: Meet Tabitha Kavyu from Kenya

Team Crowdsource, October 2020

Welcome to our Community Spotlight series, where we bring to you real stories from members of the global Crowdsource community.

Today, we are excited to shine a spotlight on Tabitha Kavyu (fondly known as Tabby by her friends), a Crowdsource influencer, and top contributor from Kenya. Tabitha is currently a final year student pursuing Computer Science, as well as the former Developer Students Club Lead at her University – and in this blog post, she shares her personal story and experience with Crowdsource.

Tabitha Kavyu, Crowdsource influencer from Kenya

🔥 Rapid-fire with Tabby

What’s your superpower?
My confidence.
What’s a superpower that you wish you had?
The ability to become invisible and to move freely from one place to another.
What is your favorite task on Crowdsource?
Image label verification.
Which country would you like to visit?
Nigeria, as I love the people from that country. They are kind and hospitable. I held my first Crowdsource event in Nigeria, the audience was amazing and many of them are still actively contributing to Crowdsource. I would love to go back there and explore the country.
What inspires you the most in life?
I want to get better each day and make an impact in the world. I am passionate about community and I love to engage with people from different walks of life. This is what drives me to do what I do today as a Crowdsource Influencer. I want to influence as many people as possible and continue to make a difference in the diversity and inclusion of my culture and languages across Google products and the open-source.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
“When you’re committed to something, you don't need anyone to push you, the vision pulls you.” I would tell my younger self to be committed and let my vision be the driving force. This resonates with Crowdsource too as contributing every single day is not very easy, but the vision of getting improved products in the future or leveling up in the app pulls me towards contributing to Crowdsource, my vision about contributing to Crowdsource is clear.

How did you hear about Crowdsource? What inspires you to contribute to Crowdsource?

I heard about Crowdsource from Aniedi Udo in a Developer Student Clubs Summit in Ghana and I immediately started contributing to Crowdsource. I reached level 6 right there during the event and I continue to contribute to Crowdsource with the goal of reaching the final level in the app. I love challenges and I look at Crowdsource as a challenge - to contribute daily and improve the representation of my country across Google products. Crowdsource is like a game to me and it drives me to be committed. Through my contributions, I enjoy the fact that I can help other people. Since the app is so easy to use, I contribute whenever I find some time. Sometimes, I even stay up at night to just reach a higher level in the app. To encourage the community in Kenya, I suggested the idea of #30daysofCrowdsource and the Crowdsource by Google team brought this idea to life immediately and rolled it out to Africa, LATAM as well as South East Asia and East Asia.

What’s your favorite moment as a part of the Crowdsource community?

As a Crowdsource Influencer, I spoke at the Open Source Festival in Lagos, the crowd was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being on stage with lights and in front of a large audience. Even after my presentation, many folks met with me to know more about contributing to Crowdsource. This was the moment that I realized that I need to spread more awareness about Crowdsource and influence others to become Crowdsource evangelists.

What is the current situation of your community and what are your plans to build the community further in Kenya?

Many of my fellow Africans are yet to discover Crowdsource, and the leaderboard has very few names from Africa. Specifically, I would love to see my fellow Kenyans on the Leaderboard as that would be a huge motivation. I want everyone to contribute, not just for the sake of contributing, but with the understanding of the whole concept of Crowdsource. Contribute with the vision to improve Google products like Google Translate, Google Lens, Google Maps, Google Photos, that they use every day in their lives. This was my inspiration to build the community in Kenya - to educate people on how they can help improve Google products. I had previously planned to visit Universities in Kenya to introduce Crowdsource to students. But due to COVID-19, I am planning to conduct virtual events to introduce Crowdsource to others. I enjoy in-person meetups more as many attendees end up talking to me after my session. One of the highlights for me was when an attendee introduced Crowdsource to his mother, who is now contributing to Crowdsource. I am looking forward to reaching great heights with the Kenya community and increasing the African contribution to Crowdsource through community outreach and events.

What’s the best thing that you have done for yourself?

Putting myself out there and building my personal brand. I owe a lot of that to my self-confidence levels, the desire to be the best version of myself, and this is what pushes me to be more involved in the community too. The best thing I have done so far is creating an impact on the lives of young people through the things I do. I love helping others, sharing my knowledge, volunteering, and helping impact and change the lives of others.

The top things you'd like others to know about your country

Kenya’s truly incredible coastline features beautiful white sand beaches and enticing turquoise waters. I come from Mombasa, which is known for its tourist attractions, mostly beaches, where people can visit the beach whenever they want.
We are known for breaking world records in running. Kenya’s Kalenjin tribe has been dubbed ‘the running tribe’ for its unbelievable ability to spawn world record-breaking runners.
Kenya is the world’s leading safari destination. Kenya is a country with diverse, rich habitat. Wildlife in Kenya is popular around the world and you will be able to see the ‘Big 5’ in our national parks as well as the Great Wildebeest Migration every year in Maasai Mara Nature Reserve.
The culture in Kenya is unique. More than 60 languages are spoken and there are more than 40 ethnic groups. Most Kenyans embrace the Masai culture. The Maasai community is one of the most interesting communities, where they have preserved their culture and traditions. The Maasai community stands out as they have retained their authenticity.

Inspired to know more about the local communities built by our influencers? Visit our Facebook page or use #GoogleCrowdsource on social media to discover more about Google Crowdsource communities across the world.

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