Ory Okolloh Quotes

Powerful Ory Okolloh for Daily Growth

About Ory Okolloh

Ory Jibuna Okolloh Mwangi, popularly known as Ory Okolloh, is a Kenyan political activist, blogger, and technology entrepreneur who has significantly influenced the digital discourse in Africa and beyond. Born on January 26, 1980, in Nairobi, Kenya, she spent her formative years in Nairobi and Kampala, Uganda, before returning to study at Mount Holyoke College in the United States. Okolloh's digital activism began in earnest during the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-2008, when she co-founded the Ushahidi platform, a crowdmapping tool used to report instances of violence and harassment. This innovative platform became an essential tool for crisis mapping worldwide. In 2011, Okolloh was appointed as the director of investment at the Africa Capital Management Fund in Nairobi. She later moved on to become policy manager for Africa at Twitter, where she worked on digital policy and freedom of expression issues across the continent. Okolloh's writing has been featured in various publications, including The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, and Foreign Policy. Her blog, Kenyan Pundit, was one of the most influential political blogs in Kenya during its active years. In 2018, Okolloh co-founded Mentor Me Africa, a nonprofit focused on mentoring young African leaders in tech, politics, and activism. She currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Strategy at the Collaborative AfricAne Technology Initiative (CATI), a digital inclusion organization based in Nairobi. Okolloh's contributions to technology, digital activism, and policy in Africa have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. Her work continues to inspire a new generation of digital activists on the African continent.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Africa is a continent whose geography, history and culture are intertwined with the internet."

This quote by Ory Okolloh highlights Africa's unique relationship with the internet. Historically, Africa has often been cut off from global communication networks, but with the advent of the internet, Africa is no longer an isolated continent. The internet has become a powerful tool for connecting Africans to each other and to the world, fostering knowledge exchange, cultural diffusion, and economic growth. Furthermore, the internet's impact on Africa goes beyond digital connectivity; it intertwines with the continent's geography, history, and culture in profound ways, shaping its future and identity in the globalized world.

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

This quote by Ory Okolloh suggests that inspired action comes from passion, not just instruction or delegation. Rather than merely organizing people to gather resources and assign tasks, one should inspire a deep yearning for the goal or vision (the "endless immensity of the sea" in this case), which will naturally drive them to take action and work collaboratively with enthusiasm.

"In a world where we can communicate instantly with anyone in the globe, it is still surprising how much distance remains in our collective imagination."

This quote highlights the paradoxical nature of global communication in our modern world. Despite having the technological means to instantly connect with individuals across the globe, we often struggle to bridge cultural, societal, and emotional gaps that persist in our collective understanding and empathy for each other. It underscores the idea that physical distance may be less significant than the psychological barriers that continue to separate us as a global community.

"The internet is not a tool to be mastered and wielded like a weapon by those who are technically proficient; it's a place for dialogue, collaboration, and learning."

This quote by Ory Okolloh emphasizes that the internet should not be used solely for technical dominance or manipulation, but rather as a platform for open dialogue, cooperation, and education among its users. The internet's true value lies in fostering connections and sharing knowledge globally, transcending geographical boundaries, and empowering individuals to engage, collaborate, and learn together.

"We don't have the luxury of focusing on one issue at a time any more - we need to think holistically about development."

This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of various aspects in societal development. It suggests that we can no longer address issues in isolation, as every problem affects multiple sectors and requires simultaneous attention for comprehensive progress. A holistic approach to development acknowledges these connections, promotes collaboration across disciplines, and ultimately leads to more sustainable and impactful solutions.

The city of Johannesburg built an app because they are getting so many complaints on Facebook and Twitter about potholes. The app allows you to report a pot hole and take a picture of it. Then, you can actually track the progress in terms of the repair, when it happened.

- Ory Okolloh

City, Repair, About, Pot

As I see it, tech in Africa 1.0 was the mobile-phone boom, and version 2.0 was about new apps developed in response to local needs. Tech in Africa 3.0 should be about those who are successful in transforming the chatter into real opportunities.

- Ory Okolloh

I See, Boom, About, Chatter

21st-century activism is different perhaps in the sense that the individual can be more present in the process, especially via social media, but the underlying drivers remain the same as desire to change the status quo.

- Ory Okolloh

Process, Desire, Individual, Status Quo

I didn't grow up in the slums or anything that dire, but I know what it is to grow up without having money or being able to support family.

- Ory Okolloh

Grow, Being, Having, Slums

Technology is the perfect refuge for African capability stifled elsewhere by badly run governments and years of misplaced foreign aid. Ubiquitous connectivity in a world without legacy infrastructure, together with the potential to learn coding or anything else online, has allowed technology entrepreneurship to flourish.

- Ory Okolloh

Legacy, Badly, Ubiquitous, Coding

The idea that either individuals or organisations are 'too big to fail' or that the tech and start-up sector is somehow different is wrong.

- Ory Okolloh

Big, Idea, Tech, Organisations

All of us salute the ITU's excellent work in the telecommunications space. It has set standards which encourage investment in infrastructure and ensure that a call made from Europe or America connects smoothly in Kenya or anywhere in the world.

- Ory Okolloh

Space, Salute, Anywhere, Smoothly

While I am a huge proponent of us as Africans telling our own stories and countering the negative stereotypes out there since no one else will, I am also cognizant of the power that the mainstream Western media still has on shaping perceptions of the continent.

- Ory Okolloh

Own, Telling, Continent, Perceptions

As a young African, the sense of opportunity that fills my head on a daily basis is, I suspect, reminiscent of how young Africans felt at the cusp of independence.

- Ory Okolloh

Young, Cusp, Daily Basis, Fills

I want my work at Google to have a long-term impact on the tech scene in Africa and to result in millions more Africans not just going online but having an amazing experience once they do. That's what drives me every single day when I get to work.

- Ory Okolloh

Experience, Result, Scene, Single Day

The Internet Governance Forum - which brings together NGOs, government officials and companies - needs to do a better job of including representatives from Africa, Latin America, and Asia and addressing their issues.

- Ory Okolloh

America, Issues, Addressing, Forum

If you know anything about Ethiopia, they are very security conscious, a very closed environment. It's a repressive place were journalists and bloggers are arrested all the time.

- Ory Okolloh

Very, About, Arrested, Ethiopia

I think the Internet is having an impact in very diverse ways anchored around amplifying voice, from enabling what I like to refer to as micro-activism.

- Ory Okolloh

Voice, Think, Very, Refer

I probably can win a prize for the most ways to use a Harvard Law School degree because of all the things I'm doing.

- Ory Okolloh

Law, Doing, Use, Law School

When I was in law school at Harvard, the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the U.S. was a big thing. I remember the fight between the army recruiters and Harvard University due to 'Don't ask, don't tell.'

- Ory Okolloh

Big, I Remember, Defence, Law School

Most entrepreneurs think capital is the biggest problem they have - but it's not. You can have all the capital you want, but if the market fit and ability to adjust are not present, your startup will likely not succeed.

- Ory Okolloh

Think, Capital, Likely, Startup

The increasing diversification of media ecosystems after decades of state control, along with new digital tools that allow for greater citizen engagement, have led to a dramatic reshaping of the dynamics between citizens, media, and government.

- Ory Okolloh

Digital, New, Allow, Decades

I'm concerned about what I see is the fetishization around entrepreneurship in Africa. It's almost like it's the next new liberal thing. Like, 'Don't worry that there's no power because, hey, you're going to do solar and innovate around that.'

- Ory Okolloh

Next, Concerned, Almost, Hey

We can't entrepreneur our way around bad leadership. We can't entrepreneur our way around bad policies. Those of us who have managed to entrepreneur ourselves out of it are living in a very false security in Africa.

- Ory Okolloh

Living, Africa, Very, Entrepreneur

An absence of credible information prevents citizens from participating in public decision-making, particularly on key issues of concern such as education, health, and governance.

- Ory Okolloh

Education, Particularly, Decision-Making

I resigned from my position as Ushahidi Executive Director and member of the Board in 2010. However, my role as a co-founder and my journey as a woman in the technology space means that I remain inextricably linked to Ushahidi, for better or worse.

- Ory Okolloh

Woman, Role, However, Resigned

I think there's sort of an extra oomph with the younger people coming up. They're writing. They're communicating. They're sharing, and they are very much technology-driven.

- Ory Okolloh

Think, I Think, Very, Younger People

Press and Internet freedom correlate against economic and social success, GDP, innovation, number of patents filed, and educational attainment. The more freedom there is, the more information, the more choice, and ultimately, more power for each individual.

- Ory Okolloh

Innovation, Educational, Attainment

That's one thing you Americans take for granted, you know? That you can grow up, you know, not so good circumstances, and you can move. Just because you are born in rural Arkansas, whatever, that doesn't define who you are.

- Ory Okolloh

Good, Rural, Arkansas, Take For Granted

I'd like to see technology to move beyond the hype and be considered part of infrastructure... the way you see access to water. I would like it to move away from apps and mobile money. So that everyone has their TV and their Wi-Fi, and it's just ubiquitous. I think that's where we should be headed.

- Ory Okolloh

I Think, TV, Ubiquitous, Hype

If I were to have an epitaph, I'd want it to read, 'She did stuff.'

- Ory Okolloh

She, Read, Were, Epitaph

I think the Internet is a key driver of opening up opportunities, which impacts many things, including development - I will repeat that I am not a fan of looking at technology or the Internet in Africa through the lens of development - we love the Internet for sake of the Internet.

- Ory Okolloh

Love, Through, I Think, Lens

I think a lot of Africans in my generation, and especially those of us who have spent time overseas before coming back, are quite comfortable moving between the two worlds, though always with a lens of, 'What can we do to help our countries or regions?'

- Ory Okolloh

I Think, Worlds, Regions, Lens

I always ask the question: As more Africans are going online, are they finding content that is meaningful and relevant to them, or are they just consuming from everywhere else. As Africans, we have the capacity to generate our own content.

- Ory Okolloh

Question, Always, Going, Generate

I'm not sure I'd be as successful as I am as a woman in a profession other than in technology. Because it tends to be a bit neutral. If you have the tools, if you can code, it's a lot more sort of merit and recognizes talent.

- Ory Okolloh

Woman, Other, Code, Tends

Omidyar Network first supported Africa Check in 2014 when they were a team of just three dedicated people intent on building a more fact-based environment for public debate in South Africa.

- Ory Okolloh

South Africa, Dedicated, Intent

For Ghana to suggest that they will turn off the Internet, in addition to other countries that have done it like Uganda, Zimbabwe, DRC, Burundi, Chad and others, that's worrying.

- Ory Okolloh

Will, Other, Zimbabwe, Ghana

I think that we have been able to demonstrate that we cannot just consume software, that we can create software that can be used all over the world, that we have that kind of talent in Africa.

- Ory Okolloh

Think, Over, Been, Demonstrate

Beyond providing some level of scrutiny of Kenyan MPs, we built Mzalendo to demonstrate that there is only so much bemoaning you can do about your representation.

- Ory Okolloh

Some, Level, Providing, Demonstrate

Technology influenced me in that it gave me an opportunity to have a voice as a woman. I think it's because the barriers to entry tend to be a bit lower.

- Ory Okolloh

Voice, Think, I Think, Entry

I believe in the power of ideas. I believe in the power of sharing knowledge.

- Ory Okolloh

Power, Ideas, Believe, Sharing

Ninety percent of my mentors have been male, most of them with very little in common with me on a personal level - from life experience, work experience, backgrounds, etc.

- Ory Okolloh

Level, Been, Very, Personal Level

I spent a lot of my early blogging career sort of highlighting all the ills of the government in Kenya and all the corruption and problems.

- Ory Okolloh

Career, Blogging, Spent, Corruption

Whether you are planning a safari, doing a homework assignment on Botswana, or promoting your local business, Street View will allow you to experience a slice of the country.

- Ory Okolloh

Country, Allow, Promoting, Slice

In Kenya particularly, we have a lot to say - we're sort of obsessed with politics. We have three nightly news broadcasts, predominantly bad politics.

- Ory Okolloh

Politics, News, Particularly, Nightly

Blogging requires consistency, and you need to have some time on your hands, which I don't really have.

- Ory Okolloh

Hands, Some, Which, Consistency

I always tell people that I am most proud of the fact that the Ushahidi story has provided an inspiration to other techies in Kenya and Africa as an example of the kind of talent the continent holds.

- Ory Okolloh

Always, Other, Continent, Holds

If you want to amplify the data that you have, you need media, you need lawyers, you need the judiciary. Especially when governments try to shut down a particular website or when litigating on an issue.

- Ory Okolloh

Website, Lawyers, Shut, Amplify

At any one particular time, there is something in my life that is suffering as a result of my many responsibilities; most of the time, it's me.

- Ory Okolloh

Suffering, My Life, Many, Responsibilities

I have a very introverted real personality.

- Ory Okolloh

Personality, Real, Very, Introverted

Let's make sure that the Internet stays open to those who need it the most.

- Ory Okolloh

Need, Sure, Most, Stays

People thought I wrote in a very 'masculine' way.

- Ory Okolloh

Thought, Very, Wrote, Masculine

We are raising a generation of children who may not know how to mobilize without Facebook.

- Ory Okolloh

Generation, How, Raising, Facebook

As much as innovation is important, I think we also need to just make stuff. If we look at Kenya, where I'm from, as an example, we are importing everything down to toothpicks.

- Ory Okolloh

Innovation, Think, I Think, Kenya

It's one thing to tell people to make informed decisions, but that's difficult when there is no information.

- Ory Okolloh

Tell, Difficult, One Thing, Informed

Life is too short to play-act if you don't have to.

- Ory Okolloh

Life, Short, Too, Life Is Too Short

The depiction of Africa has changed in the media in that it is not always poverty, disease, and so on.

- Ory Okolloh

Media, Always, Africa, Disease

Anyone who has been successful and has knowledge to share is a potential mentor.

- Ory Okolloh

Share, Been, Anyone, Mentor

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