My name is Ana Silvia Balderas Álvarez, I studied Intercultural development and management, I am a freelance facilitator and I design participatory methodologies (that’s code for: I really enjoy working with people). I am interested in everything that involves habitat, social activism and local efforts of organization towards building a better home.

Me and my loyal Ketso in Tlalnepantla, México

Adapting a collaborative approach during the pandemic

I first learned about Ketso when I was collaborating on CaPAS, an academic project, in 2021. The lead researchers introduced me to this great tool and were kind enough to gift me a Ketso Connect.

This project was set in four different communities in Mexico, and we worked with households. CaPAS was great for many, many reasons, but here I’ll focus on the fieldwork only. In CaPAS, we were supposed to hold in-person workshops where the communities we were working with would engage, talk, and exchange points of view about how they used energy in their households. The idea was to create a collaborative environment for knowledge and experience sharing (we were going to use the Ketso 24). Sadly, COVID-19 struck, and we could no longer do this, so the project changed.

We used Ketso Connects, along with manuals we created, to translate the in-person workshops into at-home sessions so everyone could stay safe.

Ketso in CaPAS, we used extra icons to communicate with the diversity of participants

Participants would use the Ketsos at home, following the guidelines we provided in the manuals. For example, there was a moment in CaPAS when households had different options for eco-technologies that could improve their energy situation at home. We asked them to use Ketso to rank their preferences. First, they did an individual ranking, then a collective ranking. They would then share photos of their rankings with us, and we would have a long phone call where they explained the ranking process, the discussions, and so on.

In CaPAS, I got attached to Ketso because of its adaptability. We worked with very different households—with children, older people, disabled people, people speaking different languages, and people who couldn’t write. Ketso was useful in all scenarios. We made some adjustments, of course, but the tool was there along the way.

I really enjoy having that extra space of possibility when working collectively

Using Ketso in Futureando Tlalne y Anexas workshop, august 2023

A versatile toolkit

After the CaPAS experience, I have been using my Ketso for many different things. I use it at home to get organized and envision my to-dos, and I use it in various projects I have. Probably my favorite way to use Ketso is still in workshops. I really enjoy having that extra space of possibility when working collectively. I have used Ketso a lot in self-managed workshops. For example, last year I organized an open space for people in my municipality. The idea was to have sessions to reflect, organize, and imagine different actions we could take as a group of concerned strangers to get closer to the future we want for our territory. Using Ketso there was helpful because we could keep track of our conversations and agreements, and go back to check what had been discussed. This also helped people who didn’t enjoy participating vocally to contribute in a different way.

Miel, libros y jotkeis bookclub, june 2024

A look at our Ketso flowers and books

Last month, a friend and I used Ketso in a book club we organized. We read a popular book, so a lot of people registered for that month’s meetings. When a book club becomes very big, it is difficult for everyone to participate because typically in book clubs (at least in my opinion) participation is not always about content but also about the beauty of the language; everyone embellishes their words, so contributions are not short. Although I forgot the original felt workplaces (that’s why the felts in the pictures are different), we used Ketso, and it was great. Ketso was like a lubricant for the conversations. We kept track of what had been said, and we also used it to create “flowers” of some of the main characters’ characteristics.

Benefits of using Ketso

So, in a nutshell, the key benefits I have found using Ketso:

Adaptability

Promotes collaboration

Facilitates participation

Helps with organization and structure

Versatility in implementation

Beyond the tool itself, what has truly enriched my journey is the community of colleagues and collaborators who support and inspire me. Working alongside empathetic, knowledgeable, and patient individuals has been a blessing when it comes to participatory methodologies like Ketso. While Ketso is undeniably a powerful tool for facilitating meaningful engagement and decision-making, its true impact is magnified when coupled with a supportive network of colleagues. Together, we not only utilize tools effectively but also create transformative experiences that contribute to building resilient communities and shaping a better future.

I know I will continue to find new ways of using Ketso and make connections along the way.

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