I feel like I owe the world this, I owe Zimbabwe this, we can’t step into the new year before I share this news with everyone. It was June of this year when I was voted as a New Voting Member. I am grateful for a supportive nominator Kingsley Chika CHUKWU and the HOT family as a whole. I might be the first Voting Member from Zimbabwe and for this I was compelled to share this step with the rest of this family especially.

Getting to be a Voting Member came with proving your worth and making sound suggestions and decisions I am already incorporating or taking part in. I am happy to be recognized to this extent and I promise to stand in for the community, to the community as we build a stronger community. You can read my responses here:

• How did you become involved in HOT?

  My journey with HOT began when I founded a YouthMappers Chapter at Midlands State University. Initially, I focused mainly on organizing OSM Africa Monthly Mapathons as that was all I knew at the time. However, as I became more involved with OSM Zimbabwe, I began to explore the broader scope of HOT’s work. I became more involved with YouthMappers on a local, national, and global level. It wasn’t until I attended Global SotM 2022 that I truly grasped the depth and breadth of HOT’s activities. This experience deepened my involvement and understanding of HOT’s mission and the impact of their work. Explore Further and Continue Reading . . .

• Could you tell us about your involvement in HOT, mapping and/or humanitarian response?

  I am actively involved with YouthMappers Chapters especially in Zimbabwe, forming partnerships, organizing collaborative events for the sustainability of the Chapters while grooming new ones. Here I organize mapping sessions, debates and discussions especially on inclusion, gender equality and equity, organize extra mappy events more like follow ups for Zimbabwe following any activity mostly from the ESA Hub (an example is the ongoing #MapHerWorld Campaign using EveryDoor). I also work closely with the Developer of the App and kinda go between the community and the man behind the app. I am a Steering Committee member for OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe which is the nucleus of the community, focusing on organizing events and overseeing the overall governance and smooth running of the community. Of special mention here is the Muzarabani Mapathon which paved way for the Anticipatory Response Program by ESA Hub and Caritas Zimbabwe which I was also a key player and managed to take part on data collection and street level mapping using the 360 camera then uploading the pictures to Mapillary. I am the founder - Ladies in Maps Zimbabwe (a female focused initiative that is aiming to close female related data gaps in Zimbabwe). The initiative was also featured in a Podcast (Women in Mapping) by the ESA Hub Continue Reading. . .

After the Global SotM, I organized a Geospatial Conference here in Zimbabwe which was also funded by HOT (formerly HOT unSummit) where I also slotted a session for YouthMappers in attendance with one of the Guest Speakers, the Capacity Lead - Digital Earth Africa following the YouthMappers Digital Earth Africa Competition. I co-organized the Inaugural SotM Nigeria, a 2023 YouthMappers leadership fellow and a SotM Tanzania speaker. I am also actively involved with the Activation and the Community Working Groups. I won the best poster award at the International Conference on Remote Sensing, GIS and Climate Change held in Lahore, Pakistan which marketed “open sources of data” under the theme Leveraging the Power of Open Source Geospatial in Remote Sensing, GIS and Climate Change which was also inspired by Chad BLEVINS. I love blogging (writing) about my experiences with HOT and tweeting about HOT initiatives and programmes a lot.

• What does HOT mean to you?

  HOT, to me, represents a remarkable team of volunteers who wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to saving humanity, both before and after disasters strike, through an innovative approach to cartography. They provide open-source geospatial data to communities and organizations worldwide, via crowdsourcing, and are committed to making a positive impact on the world. What I find most impressive about HOT is their ability to identify the unique skills and passions of each individual member, and provide opportunities for them to use those skills to support the organization’s mission and vision. HOT is not only a community of like-minded individuals but also a learning environment that promotes professional development, technical support, soft skills, career opportunities, and networking. I am proud to be a part of the HOT community, which has empowered me to grow both professionally and personally. I am continually amazed by their unwavering commitment to creating a better world, and their ability to bring together a diverse group of people to work towards this common goal. HOT is a beacon of hope, demonstrating that we can all make a difference, one map at a time.

• Why do you want to be a voting member?

  As a dedicated member of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, my ultimate goal is to become a voting member of the organization, enabling me to have a say in the governance and decision-making processes that steer our collective efforts. By becoming a HOT voting member, I aspire to not only actively participate in shaping the organization’s policies and procedures but also to take on the critical responsibility of co-chairing various working groups that touch upon all aspects of HOT’s work. With this coveted position, I aim to represent the community’s interests, ideas, and feedback, while also advocating for the adoption of progressive and inclusive governance structures that best serve our members. I believe that by playing an active role in the decision-making process, I will be better equipped to understand the challenges and opportunities that face our organization and can therefore provide valuable input in suggesting, agreeing, or modifying HOT’s governance structure for the greater good of the community at large. My ultimate objective is to leverage my influence as a HOT voting member to help shape the organization’s direction and strategy while ensuring that the community’s voice is heard and its needs are met.

• As a voting member of HOT what do you see as your most important responsibility?

  As a member of the HOT (Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team) community, it is my responsibility to ensure that the community is functioning effectively and to represent the needs of the community to the board. This involves actively engaging with community members, listening to their concerns, and addressing any issues that may arise. I must ensure that community members are aware of and abide by the Code of Conduct (COC), which is designed to promote a safe and welcoming environment for all. Upholding the standards of the HOT team and representing it positively whenever called upon is also a crucial part of my role. One of the key aspects of HOT governance is transparency. As such, it is my duty to explain and elaborate on the governance structure to members of the community, helping them understand how decisions are made and how they can have a say in the direction of the organization. My goal is to ensure that the HOT community is a vibrant and inclusive space that fosters collaboration, innovation, and positive change. By working together, we can make a meaningful difference in the world and help those who need it most.

• How do you plan to be involved in HOT as a voting member? Are there any working groups you would be interested in joining?

  The Governance Working Group (GWG); it is responsible for managing and improving the governance structure of HOT, ensuring transparency, accountability, and participation in decision-making processes. As a member of the GWG, I can contribute to shaping the direction and policies of HOT, and ensure that it operates in an effective and ethical manner.

Some of the areas I will focus on in GWG include organizational policies, procedures, and bylaws, membership and election processes, conflict resolution, and stakeholder engagement. Joining the GWG would allow me to collaborate with other members to develop and implement these important initiatives.

• What do you see as HOT’s greatest challenge and how do you plan to help HOT meet that challenge?

  HOT faces a significant challenge in engaging volunteers who sign up for activities or working groups, such as the Activation Working Group, where only a small fraction of the members actively participate. This challenge is compounded by the underrepresentation of women and lack of overall participation. To address this issue, a meaningful solution could be to organize frequent meet-ups tailored to the different time zones represented, providing opportunities for members to network, share experiences, and collaborate on projects. Such meet-ups could foster a sense of community and purpose, which can motivate members to engage more actively in the group’s activities. Another significant challenge that HOT faces is the quality of data provided by volunteers. To address this issue, one potential solution could be to train more validators and provide them with additional training to ensure the data meets the expected standards. Such efforts can lead to a more significant improvement in data quality, thus enhancing the credibility and impact of HOT’s work. By making data quality a priority, HOT can build trust among stakeholders and inspire more volunteers to participate in the organization’s activities. Dropping off of new mappers or inactive mappers after being introduced to the tasking manager or OSM platform has become a significant concern in HOT or OSM Expansion and growth. This often happens because of validation comments that are not well received by new mappers, making it difficult for them to continue with the mapping task. It seems that some mappers need a strong heart to pass this stage, and unfortunately, many mappers have had negative experiences because of this. To address this issue, the Validators Managers should regularly hold validators sessions to emphasize strict adherence to the Code of Conduct. Additionally, measures should be put in place to monitor such behaviour to ensure that anyone interested in mapping feels accommodated, inclusive and to minimize the number of inactive mappers.

As we step into the new year, let’s remember to strategically build the community we want, that community you wish to see, lets bring it to reality together.

Happy holidays and a fruitful new year!

Letwin Pondo

It has been a busy time for OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe Community forging ahead to set it’s foot within the Global OpenStreetMap Family. This year started enormously with the introduction to the Anticipatory Response Program for Muzarabani.

OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe is one of those communities that is still emerging and testing the waters in pursuit of a safe landing space. I am sure it’s all smooth surface but not so easy to be well established. Starting up a community or resuscitating one is no little work; you sweat it out, you cry it out and you scream it out. Only commitment and dedication will see you through the winning point. Over the last couple of years, OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe has been active in terms of the YouthMappers Chapters. Vivid and energetic, the young mappers have been very enthusiastic, raising their home flag high. This year, tables should turn or rather tables should balance.

OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe jump-started this year at a climatic point with the first massive Mapathon ever which also served as an introduction to the Anticipatory Response Program for Muzarabani. The community which gathered at the University of Zimbabwe on the 20th of March 2023, made tremendous efforts to put Muzarabani on the map. The tasks cleared way for the Disaster Response Deployment which then took off the next day in the Muzarabani District. The occasion was rich in attendance (80+) from various institutions and organizations like the Chinhoyi University of Technology, Midlands State University, Harare Polytechnic, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Institute of Geomatics, Surveyors Institute of Zimbabwe, independent participants and supported by the Eastern and Southern Africa Hub (ESA). Training was led by Deogratius Kiggudde while the Zimbabwe Steering Committee and ESA (Jomokela Kennedy, Wilson Munyaradzi, Michael Osunga) chipped in to attend to the floor. It was a huge success.

It will not be fair if we do not highlight the greater representation of females (Ladies In Maps) and YouthMappers at the occasion. Beginner mappers enjoyed the interactive sessions with the trainers. It was also eye-opening to learn about the various opportunities and activities around OpenStreetMap, FOSS4G and YouthMappers from Letwin Pondo. Hats off to the OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe Steering Committee for a sound outset, looking forward to what the community has in store for us this year.

Acknowledgements OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe Steering Committee The Eastern and Southern Africa Open Mapping Hub University of Zimbabwe Midlands State University Chinhoyi University of Technology Harare Polytechnic Zimbabwe Institute of Geomatics Surveyors Institute of Zimbabwe Lloyd Moyo Tapiwa Nigel Chigumbu

https://medium.com/@letwinpondo/the-genesis-an-expansive-spatial-outset-ad38a3fa31bd

Of course we woke up to this every single morning!

This year started on a high note for all YouthMappers selected for the 2023YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

YouthMappers from different parts of the globe embarked on a very exciting trip to Jamaica, I was one of them representing my mother country Zimbabwe. I bordered from Lagos, Nigeria and calculating the hours and days to get to Montego Bay kept me in suspense and some kind of curiosity. I travelled with YouthMappers from various states of Nigeria, it made the trip much exciting and fun. The joy of meeting someone new, someone who’s passionate about the same things you are also into, exchanging those big smiles and hugs made it worthwhile. So I’d say my summit experience commenced the instant I met my first Summit mates and trip mates!

We took the 12 hour flight to Addis Ababa, I was busy counting down the hours and the transit countries. My joy is Jamaica, so whatever country, however beautiful I had a goal. Ethiopia became more fun at the airport as we were joined by other fellows from Tanzania and Republic of Congo. You know meeting someone new for the very first time sometimes can be difficult I know but I don’t think it was for me. Before the summit, I reached out to my fellow OSM community members from different countries I knew would be attending the summit, so from there I had the information and the confidence and details about who is who to most of the fellows. This started working when the Tanzanians came into the picture. I knew there would be EmmanuelRichardMahe from JUCO YouthMappersand it was exactly 3 days after his birthday! So I had a starting point - credit to Erick Tamba – Regional Ambassador Tanzania on this one. This is how easy it was for me to make friends.

From Ethiopia we headed to Brazil, another 12 hours. Now I was exhausted, but the joy of what was awaiting us kept me strong. There we were joined by fellows from Sierra Leone. Trust me it was getting more and more interesting. This time someone won over me, c’mon Tommy Charles; it’s a story for another day. The next day we flew to Panama, andfrom Panama to Kingston. The joy was doubling now though my body was weak and more exhausted I kept on. It was amazing meeting Rhys Stewart in Kingston – first time after the State of the Map Italy, friends for keeps. Ooh I thought we were there already, the revelation of the 3 hours to Montego Bay left me weak, as we took the bus to the hotel, I fell asleep.

Screams, claps, shouts, noise……what is happening? The noise woke me up. We were in Montego Bay, we had arrived at theHilton Rose Hotel. I couldn’t tell what was exactly going on, but I just grabbed my bags and came out of the bus. Yes, celebrations and hugs welcomed us but as Patricia would put it, “I tried hugging you when you came off the bus but you were like, I am a zombie!” I was so tired and sleepy to realize what was exactly going on. I remember a group of people cheering us as we got off the bus one by one but I didn’t see any face. Things started making sense when we were at the check in desk; slowly I started remembering and smiling – Feye Andal (my mapping partner on MerginMaps from SotM Italy, a sweet friend) and Zola Manyungwa were the first people I talked to when the zombieness began to wear off. Checked in, accompanied to my room, bath, dinner and the day was done.

A great shout out to two super ladies; Marcela Zeballos and Sophia Butler. Honestly my mind keeps telling me they never slept from December to this day. I am imagining coordinating 50+ students coming from different parts of the world, at one point the stress from the Airlines, the frequent updates, the complains, the frustrations but they pulled through and made it happen for us. I cannot speak for everyone but from myself alone I sincerely appreciate their relentless efforts, their patience, hard work and commitment just for us to see that day. Thumbs up a million!

The Summit ran on 3 super-amazing themes:

1. Promoting Equity and Inclusion

2. Activating Youth Leadership and,

3. Mapping for Climate Resilience

Sessions were already ongoing and the circle was finally completed – the energy, the smiles, the networks, the food, the beautiful Atlantic Ocean view all intertwined to build an incredible experience. I started from the Kobo and Mapillary Mapping with Laura Mugeha, Carrie Stokes, Caitlin Milne, Carolina Estefania Garcia Mancero and Isaac Kingsley Arthur-Gaisie then followed the Drone session in the afternoon. Of course, I flew a drone for the first time! You can imagine the excitement. In all aspects, walking into someone, exchanging smiles, starting a conversation and getting along all made me feel complete. Nagging and catching up with the old faces also made it easier to maneuver through the crowd – Laura, Zola, Feye, Ndapile Mkuwu, Maxwell Owusu, Chad Blevins. All sessions were immeasurably incredible – I can’t say much other than that the Summit was rich with sessions from carefully selected experts, interactions with the greatest mentors, experience sharing from different parts of the world and most of all networking.

I will only highlight 3 sessions from the summit, else I will put the whole Summit in words here;

**One of the Summit themes – Promoting equity and inclusion (Laura Mugeha, Adele Birkenes, Nuala Cowan)

As I reflected upon a time I felt excluded, tears filled my eyes and I raised my hand at instance to share my experiences. It hurts, it comes with regret, discomfort, loneliness, low self esteem, fear you can name them. From all those reflections we reached a conclusion that we all want to be included; set aside race, color, communication barrier, sex, age, wealth etc. Everyone deserves a sense of being included and that’s exactly how our Chapters should be like.

**Your mentoring networks by Dr Patricia Solis

First of all you do self introspection, identify which areas exactly you need mentoring. We all do not need the same type mentorship and even if we do; we need the mentors for totally different reasons. From the 3 people who indicated they needed a role model; what they meant, what they need, their expectations and where they want to end up is totally different. So next you identify the various people who fall under the category of mentorship you need, if they are already in your network - easy; if not, you need to reach out and reaching out in a humble, productive, professional way. You don’t stay a mentee forever, at some point you need to grow, and mentor others as well – it’s professional to end a mentorship but never cut the connection.

**Internships tips and advice by Chad Blevins

I will hit the hammer on the nail; I have never been interviewed, I have never been in an interview and I am so scared of it. It is easy listening to the tips and compiling your resume but the greatest struggle for me is the formal session. We were actually supposed to be interviewed and recorded for future reference after the tips, but Laura Mugeha and Lydia Letaru took it upon themselves to take me from the basics – the beauty of the fellowship summit.

Another interesting moment was watching the documentary. I know I had watched it more than 3 times already since it was published but watching it with the fellows, getting to now recognize the majority of the faces there made it lit. This was backed up by a surprise gift (my first greatest gift of the year) - The Open Mapping Towards Sustainable Development Goals copy for everyone. The feedback presentations also spiced up the last days of the summit – from the thematic groups and regions of origin. We ended the summit with an awards and celebration evening; the joy of completing this our journey together, the tears, the photos, the goodbyes…..

Thanks to YouthMappers I have new friends all over the globe, name a country and I will give you a name or even more 

Some catch phrases from the Summit:

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Life is a team sport, so is open mapping

Let your hopes not your fears shape your future

Define your world by mapping it!

Following the Global State of the Map in Italy, the Inaugural State of the Map Nigeria came to be this time with Mr Victor Sunday as the Chair.

The conference was organized by Unique Mappers Network Team and saw attendees from various states of Nigeria, from Hong Kong, Tanzania, Brazil, Zimbabwe just to mention a few. I was in for Quality Assurance and Volunteer Lead alongside Kaue de Moraes Vestena. It was great learning especially from the Nigerian Community how they are using FOSS, contributing to OSM and all. It was an honor launching this hybrid conference and paving way for many to come.

My gratitude goes to Mr Victor Sunday for also trusting my capability in this, the Unique Mappers Team at large and to the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT unSummit) for sponsoring me. So Mr Victor asked me again to give closing remarks like I did in Italy, if it’s now a calling I don’t even know. I am thrilled to be part of the Unique Mappers Network as an Intern – this also adds to the space. I am more than grateful.

2022 PART 02

##My first State of the Map and FOSS4G (Italy)

When the mail came in, I couldn’t believe it…SotM and FOSS4G all at once…Italy you say – I still think it was a dream!

It was a call to attend the Global State of the Map (SotM) Conference and the Free and Open-Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) Conference in Italy. I didn’t know where to start but I have the Organizers of FOSS4G and my mentor Dr Prestige Makanga to thank in all.

It was the 17th of August when I bordered the plane to Rome. It was a first, overwhelming is the closest I can use but trust me it was way beyond that. My flights got delayed and I got to Rome late, took my trams to Firenze and hail there was a raging storm. The storm delayed my trams too and I got to Firenze around 11pm. Thanks to Cristiano Giovando; he was there all the time till I was right inside the hostel, on my bed and ready for the big day the following day (I’d call him my map, tour guide, keeper and connector). I am very much grateful.

The big day came, SotM meets Letwin in Italy! I was so excited to meet a lot of OSM Community members I only knew from social media in 3D - Geoffrey Kateregga, Laura Mugeha, Sharon Omoja, Patricia Solis, Courtney Clarke, Sawan Shariar just to mention a few. It was an amazing experience to meet the majority of people in the Geospatial Industry, more new faces aside those I knew only from social media. I got to share experiences, learn from experts, attend educative and intriguing presentations and workshops and meet great companies and organizations in the Geospatial Sector, the likes of ESRI, META, LUTRA CONSULTING, GEOCAT, HOT, OSGEO, Wikimedia, Kartoza among others.

I can still cite these sessions from SotM as they are still vivid in my mind:

*The Local Chapters Congress – which highlighted the challenges our communities are facing and suggested solutions for improvement and way forward

*The HOT unSummit Sessions – it was from these sessions that I got to meet Pete Masters and Monica Nthiga and one thing led to another, we had the Zimbabwe Institute of Geomatics Conference. I am still grateful, surely this community is one of its own kind

*Everydoor and the future of POI in OSM by Ilya Zverev – it was my first learning about the App and from there, every session I had with the YouthMappers Chapters in Zimbabwe, EveryDoor was and is still part of the discussion

*OSM Sidewalkreator by Kaue de Moraes Vestena – this was also new and exciting, I actually realized everything can be put on a map no matter how small or insignificant I thought it was

It was amazing meeting other YouthMappers and Regional Ambassadors most importantly the OSM Community at large.

My greatest memory at FOSS4G was the honor of sharing the stage with the Chair of the Conference (Luca Delucchi) at closing ceremony where I got to address a thousand plus audience. I will definitely share more on this one but for a start – FOSS4G was much bigger and more formal than SotM. There were a lot more people and the amazing experience continued. The Conference started off with some educative workshops. I joined one by Mergin Maps and the other by Kartoza (A renderer’s cheat-sheet for QGIS). I confess I am no longer the same. After the workshops came a variety of sessions and you would see people moving up and down, rushing from one session to the other. It was not easy settling for a session, all of them were great – at one point I wished they were not running parallel so that I can reduce the running around and follow them one after the other.

Back to my greatest memory, I remember I was walking with Luca to the Open Bar one of the days sharing my joys and experiences about the conferences that he broke the news to me – I was to share the stage with him! I did not even think, I exclaimed yes right away but after we separated, I began wondering. I looked at the crowd out at the bar and wondered how I was going to talk to all these faces. I have my (Secretary) Anisa Kuci to thank, Lorenzo Stucchi, Cristiano Giovando and Ilya Zverev for their unwavering support, motivation and faith in me. Most importantly, the Chair Luca himself for believing in me and giving me such an honor. It was not easy stepping up that stage, looking at a thousand tiny faces: but as soon as I said the first phrase, I felt at home, and it was done.

I’m so grateful for being selected as one of the FOSS4G grantees of this year’s Global Conference. These 2 Conferences have had so much impact in my professional life, social, and all. I was deeply humbled by this community, a family as I prefer. Many thanks to the Organizers of both Conferences (not forgetting the irresistible social events and the choice of the beautiful city of Firenze), you gave me an opportunity that inspired, motivated and improved every aspect of my life – for someone who follows me closely, you’d understand what I am talking about.

Open source for open minds….

I made this statement to my school PR and some journalists in Zimbabwe during an interview after this experience:

“From my Conference experience, we have a lot of work to do as Zimbabweans in promoting the use of free and open-source software, encouraging women participation in such activities, organize such local conferences to share ideas, network, collaborate and work towards sustainable development for the country we want through space and geospatial technologies.”

The YouthMappers Chapters both already established, and upcoming ones were a start, OSM Zimbabwe another, the Zimbabwe Institute of Geomatics Conference, the Anticipatory Action for Disaster response by ESA Hub another, the Inaugural State of the Map Nigeria and watch the space….

2022 PART 01

#Welcome to OpenStreetMap Community

It was just 3 students, ambitious about a pathway they were not even so sure about. They accepted the challenge and got ready to roll.

So, we started our YouthMappers Chapter just as a Students OSM Community at our University. We didn’t know much but we were willing to take the risk. So, one thing we knew and we did was hold Africa Monthly Mapathons.

This we knew and actually followed and for a time it was the only activity we knew. Fortunately for us, we had the unwavering support of our mentor Dr Prestige T Makanga and Dr Charles Paradzayi and of course Geoffrey Kateregga (our Mr OSM)! Later on, light came, and thanks to Regional Ambassador Laura Mugeha; we registered our small community as a YouthMappers Chapter and things started getting better and brighter. On this day, we launched our Chapter with an introduction to OpenStreetMap and YouthMappers.

We are so grateful to OSM Zimbabwe - Tafadzwa Bere and Clifford Tarerwa who dedicated their time to walk us through this day. And yes, we launched the chapter with a regalia already!

I admit it was not at all smooth but trust me it was worth it. In short, this is how YouthMappers Midlands State University came to be…

Kudos to Kumbirai N. Matingo, Ruvimbo D. Supiya and Letwin Pondo.

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#osmzimbabwe #osmafrica #hotosm