Mobility Mapping
The Tool
The mobility map is representation of a community’s movements in relation to the outside world in search of resources, services or even trade. The tool gives a snapshot of what resources the communities are lacking and what they have in surplus without directly asking so. The tool is best modeled once again on the resource map created initial at the start of the participatory exercise. As the tool involves resources in the outside world - outside the village - the it involves adding symbols to the original map with arrows to indicated where the resource/service is outward or inward bound.
The Output
The key output from the tool is a map on the ground with a visual representation of the community's social and economic interactions. It provides the facilitators and the community to reflect on what resources/services are lacking and what interventions might be used to bring in such. Movements that occur within the community represent transfer of wealth either way. The movement could be in terms of people (labor), search for health, water or pasture or even population displacements due to natural disaster. The way people move around is important in determining the economic activities of the community as a whole. This tool is especially important in analyzing the community wealth, incomes from outside, ‘exports’ from the village and other issues of economic and social importance. How to implement
To develop a mobility map the community uses the resource map created earlier to discuss the various place where people go once they leave the village. From this discussion the destinations are mapped on the ground or paper. The discussion captures information on why they move to each destinantion, what the take with them and what they bring back. The elements are put on the map using symbols or items like stones, sticks etc. The importance of each destination/issue is discussed with the facilitator or literate community member taking notes. Arrows drawn on the map represent the direction of flow of people or resources. The following question maybe used to guide the process. However the facilitator should be innovative and inquisitive to generate useful information.
- where do people go when they leave the village?
- which people leave regularly: men, women, youth and why do they leave?
- what do they take with them once when leaving?
- who takes what when leaving?
- when they return, what do they bring back? Can it not be locally produced?
Output
The output of the tool is a map on the ground representing the flow of resources into and out of the community or village. The tool normally generates a wealth of information concerning production, marketing, employment, expenditure patterns and incomes among many other things. After the tool is developed, it gives the community a chance to reflect on how to reduce "imports and increase "exports" from the village thus creating employment among members.
