MAIYO RESEARCH INSTITUTE

About Maiyo Research Institute

Maiyo Research Institute is a citizen science organization working to bridge the environmental data divide between the Global South and Global North. We collect, analyze, and openly publish data on East Africa's ecosystems and biodiversity, making it freely available to scientists, policymakers, and communities everywhere.

Through machine-assisted data collection, AI-driven analysis, and transparent advocacy, we empower scientists, policymakers, and civil society to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

Over the next century, we envision an East Africa where environmental data is abundant, open, and accessible, closing the global data divide and empowering generations of scientists, policymakers, and communities to act on what the data shows.

Research Platform

Citizen science projects we hope to undertake

Automated Bird Audio Stations

Solar-powered bio-acoustic monitoring stations deployed across notable ecological sites and bird habitats throughout East Africa. Using the BirdNET AI platform developed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the stations hope to continuously identify and log bird species from audio, contributing real-time data to regional and global avian biodiversity datasets.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology BirdNET / BirdWeather Raspberry Pi

Urban Air Quality Collection Network

A distributed network of low-cost air quality monitoring stations across East African urban centers, piloted in Kigali. The stations collect continuous data on particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants, feeding into open datasets to support environmental health research and urban planning decisions across East Africa.

Open Data Sensor Network Urban Environment

Low-Cost DNA Sequencing Initiative

Bringing accessible genomic tools to East African biodiversity research, enabling species identification and ecosystem health assessments at a fraction of traditional cost.

DNA PCR

River and Aquatic Wetland Water Testing

Long-term monitoring of water quality across East Africa's rivers and wetlands using automated multi-parameter sensors, with data flowing continuously into open repositories.

Water Quality Sensor Network Open Data

Core Values

• Open Science We publish eligible data, methods, and insights freely for public use and collaboration, with attribution and source terms preserved.
• Transparency Openness in methodology, funding, and governance.
• Equity Centering African voices, ecosystems, and priorities in global scientific narratives.
• Independence Non-partisan, independent, driven by science.
• Long-Term Thinking Generational impact over short-term wins.
• Collaboration Working across borders, sectors, and disciplines to amplify impact.
• Tech-Driven Insight Using AI and machine learning responsibly to unlock deep insights from the data we collect.