OMTD

WNAH-Open Mapping & Techdays(OMTD)

The West and North Africa Hub (WNAH) was established with the aim of supporting communities in the region to address a wide range of issues. This includes providing communities with the necessary skills and resources to tackle their challenges through projects, programs, grants, community-led campaigns, and other initiatives.

The objective is to work closely with communities at the grassroots level to empower key stakeholders in protecting their livelihoods, enhancing their resilience, and preserving their way of life, while promoting social justice, open data accessibility, and open-source software for their own purposes.

In collaboration with OpenStreetMap communities or local organizations, WNAH hosts a four-day event called Open Mapping & Techdays (OMTD) to conduct mapping and technical capacity-building activities. These activities aim to enhance technical expertise and promote awareness of open-source technological tools used for mapping.

Activities

Technical Capacity building

The objective is to enhance the skills and knowledge of various user groups for OSM mapping technologies in different applications. This will involve training on data collection tools, editing techniques, with a focus on AI-based mapping tools, Data quality control measures, and data extraction and reuse.

Mapathon

A mapathon will be arranged to highlight the significant contributions made using the Tasking Manager tool, with a specific topic and mapping area. This event will serve as a starting point for launching a monthly mapathon to encourage increased participation in OSM contributions and the use of available technology tools.

Event

To conclude the three-day training, an event will be arranged to discuss the activities of the Hub, the OSM community, the distribution of certificates, and the inclusion of new members.

Target

The target audience includes the following:

• OSM communities
• Students in GIS and technology
• Public or private institutions
• Humanitarian organizations
• Individuals with a passion for the subject

Previous OMTD

OMTD Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire ( November 2022 )

The inaugural edition of OMTD took place from November 17th to 19th, 2022 at Felix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan. Over 30 participants from various sectors attended the event. During the fourth-day program, the attendees received training on the usage of tools and technologies for contributing to OSM and reusing the data. Through a mapathon, the participants remotely mapped a city named OUANGOLO, located in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire.

Impact

During the OMTD in Abidjan, participants made significant contributions through a Mapathon to map Ouangolo city,including mapping 8,379 buildings, 20 km of roads, and making a total of 361 changesets with 8,630 map edits.

https://tasks.hotosm.org/projects/13729/stats

The OMTD in Abidjan has had a positive impact on open mapping initiatives in Côte d'Ivoire. It has strengthened the capacity of the OSM community in Côte d'Ivoire and reinvigorated its momentum. The professors from Felix Houphouet-Boigny University who attended the training have decided to incorporate OSM into their geomatics curriculum, benefiting the students. Additionally, a participant from OMTD, residing in Korogho, a city in northern Côte d'Ivoire, initiated a program to train students from the University of Korogho. Twenty-five students underwent the training and launched a campaign to map water points in the city. This participant received the Mwalai grant to implement the program, in collaboration with OSMCI, thereby decentralizing OSM to other cities.

The monitoring of the impact is still ongoing...

OMTD Niamey-Niger ( March 2023)

The Open Mapping Tech Day (OMTD) was held from March 15th to 17th, 2023, in Niamey, Niger, in collaboration with OSM Niger. WNAH organized technical training sessions for 35 individuals, including students, experts, and professionals, on collaborative mapping tools. Over the course of three days, these participants were trained on the use of free mapping technologies to contribute to OpenStreetMap (OSM) and create thematic maps tailored to specific needs. Upon completion of the training, attendees were awarded certificates to attest to their proficiency in the learned tools and technologies.

Impact

• Strengthening the capabilities of the OSM Niger community
• Requesting partnership with WNAH to receive support in integrating OSM into the curriculum of a mining university in Niamey
• Exploring collaboration opportunities to upload humanitarian drone imagery to OpenAerialMap.

The monitoring of the impact is still ongoing...

OMTD Dakar-Sénégal ( May 2023)

The OMTD (Open Mapping & Techday) in Dakar took place from May 8th to May 10th, 2023, benefiting 35 participants, including 13 women, representing 11 organizations from the tech and geomatics ecosystem, such as MSI SN, UCPO, TOSTAN, Senegalese Red Cross, OSM Senegal, PROCASEF, Kamou Technology, UCAD-ISRA, ANIIDES, DPVE/MEDDTE, and IFAN Ch. A. Diop. The OMTD event provided an opportunity to popularize open geospatial technologies and enhance the technical skills of the participants. At the end of OMTD, the participants were invited to join the WhatsApp group of the OSM West African community.

Impact

The monitoring of the impact is still ongoing...