Background to the Mapping Challenge 2012

Mapping Day Uganda is a fast growing project which organizes mapping events, local trainings, map awareness, pledges open data sets and builds a network of enthusiastic mappers in Uganda.

All activities are set up around the global OpenStreetMap (OSM) project. OSM is a map and database whereby the stored geographic data is owned by the whole world allowing everyone to view, create and use this information for free.

The project was started because most maps promoted as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use. This limits people from using them in a creative, productive, or unexpected way.

Creating a map of Uganda is a big project, we hope to extend our project and engage more Ugandan students in our mapping activities. This will improve their employment prospects by extending their ICT skills, raising their market value by distinguishing themselves from other students and improve the quality of the map at the same time.

Currently our project contains:

MAPPING EVENTS

a one day activity collecting hand drawn roads, buildings, land use, power lines and social services. Students, professionally supported by walking papers and G.P.S devices, learn the basics of mapping.

Aimed at educating the enthusiastic participants of a Mapping Event in more depth. We make use of the open source manual of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and write our own
(additional) material which is shared with HOT.

BUILDING A NETWORK

Stimulates enthusiastic mappers we have enlisted during Mapping Events and Trainings to continue mapping on their own. Sharing this experience with a group of like minded people is very motivating so we have set up a Facebook page to catch this service. We are also active on Pamoya, a mailing list with 169+ active mappers in Uganda.

AIMS

1. The Mapping Events should be expanded to be held at universities throughout Uganda. Universities are evenly spread across the country, have Internet facilities and a more reliable power supply. The students are the right age-group and are above average in computer literacy. By visiting 10 universities twice this year to map the campus and the surrounding neighbourhood, we hope to create new possibilities for the students. We will teach additional skills and create hotspots of mappers that will eventually bring together all University teams by connecting their roads and residential area's on the map.
2. Our focus in Kampala is to undertake activities that guarantee the creation of a high-detailed map of the Makindye Division, together with the local administration. We hope to show the local councils the benefits of a high quality map. In order to enhance the map quality, we will run our training program with local training centers, each one covering a different region in the Makindye Division. Mapping Day Uganda is a one day activity full of hand drawn roads, buildings, land use, power lines and social services professionally supported by walking papers and GPS devices.

THE MISSION

The ultimate goal besides having an excuse to render the coolest tracks is increasing the economic value of the ones involved which will hopefully turn out in some finding jobs more easily. Participants are trained in understanding the GPS device, using the walking papers, digitizing their trails in OpenStreetMap and working with an editor that allows you to customize the map.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

There is still a lot of work to do to improve the map even further so more Mapping Days are yet to come. If you would like to join the next Mapping Day, please register via the website or join the mailing list Mapping Uganda.

If you are inspired by the project and would love to contribute somehow, we really appreciate donations for GPS devices, to cover the costs of training material and up scaling activities.

For more information, sponsoring and donations contact us: