Today DebConf started in Cape Town and already listened to a very good talk of JD Bothan on “FLOSSing for healthier society“, a geeky title for a serious and gravely needed technologies to educate the masses about important data.
His many examples of already accomplished projects that educate about South African live (and which has been covered by the press — creating a fuzz about the findings):
- Living-Wage: Are You paying your domestic worker enough?
- Wazimap: Visulization of readily available statistical data (StatSA, census 2011, and othery) integrated into a pleasing, dynamic website.
- How much of Your day’s work tax is spent: This was covered by GQ life-style magazine.
Especially the latter opened the doors for further journalists becoming interested in how to gather and use readily online statistical data. The main driver behind his projects and work at code4SA.org is to improve society by empowering people and local government to collect and use data to better the constituents lifes.