Voice of the Community
Our best contributors, on one page
We love to know more about you!
In this page, you can meet the best members of our community, volunteers that have distinguished themselves from the crowd due to their exceptional achievements and contributions to the UN Mappers community goals and objectives.
Every month, one member of the UN Mappers community will be showcased on this page, which also displays previous awardees. You could be the next one!
In order to be showcased on this page, you can contribute as a UN Mapper in different ways:
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Edit our projects and keep track of your data through our UN Mappers Leaderboard. We will be awarding the mappers positioned at the top of this leaderboard.
Please keep in mind that we evaluate not only the quantity of data, but also the quality! -
Organize collaborative events with your community and let us know through our social media or mail! The more people you have an impact on, the better.
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Expand the UN Mappers community by organizing a local group of mappers to edit our mapping projects!
We are also looking for the empowerment of local and under-represented communities! -
Provide help not only with mapping, but also by doing community activities like translations, logo designs, illustrations and so on!
The UN Mappers of the month
Linbing Zhuang
Our Mappers of the Month for April 2024 are the extraordinary team of Chinese translators who translated our Learning Hub courses. With six different members and backgrounds, but with a common experience in OpenStreetMap, their meticulous dedication made it possible to overcome language barriers and ensure accurate translations.
“My involvement in this project is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the global community by breaking down language barriers and facilitating easier access to important geographic knowledge and mapping skills.”
Nianhua Liu
Our Mappers of the Month for April 2024 are the extraordinary team of Chinese translators who translated our Learning Hub courses. With six different members and backgrounds, but with a common experience in OpenStreetMap, their meticulous dedication made it possible to overcome language barriers and ensure accurate translations.
“As a map lover and a cartographer, I love encouraging others to help with humanitarian work and to get into mapping. I believe that by translating these tutorials in more languages, we can get more people to learn about OpenStreetMap and how to map for good causes.”
Gongmingyue Tang
Our Mappers of the Month for April 2024 are the extraordinary team of Chinese translators who translated our Learning Hub courses. With six different members and backgrounds, but with a common experience in OpenStreetMap, their meticulous dedication made it possible to overcome language barriers and ensure accurate translations.
“I believe that reducing language barriers will encourage more active mappers to engage and will help with bridging data gaps in less-mapped regions.”
Past awardees
Pawan Muddu
Our Mapper of the Month for March 2024 is Pawan Muddu from India. With a background in Geography, Pawan has made notable contributions to UN Mapper projects and demonstrated dedication to enhancing Somalia's road network in our MapRoulette Challenge, among other impactful efforts within the OpenStreetMap community. He has shown dedication to improving his mapping skills and actively participates in humanitarian mapping efforts.
“Engaging in humanitarian mapping is an act of selfless sacrifice. Millions of good-hearted individuals contribute to this cause, driven by the belief that their mapping efforts will serve humanitarian organizations.”
Rajendran Keerthana
Rajendran Keerthana, is our February 2024 Mapper of the Month. She participated in the course held with the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. She recently completed a bachelor's degree in Geography from Eastern University. Her interest in Geography drove her to participate in the geospatial field.
“I have always been fascinated by maps and cartography. OpenStreetMap is waking up the world to the power of geography and has the framework for creating a better future.”
Justo Gómez Vaello
Introducing Justo Gómez Vaello, from Spain, our Mapper of the Month for January 2024. Justo, a Geomatics and Surveying Engineer, has showcased exceptional mapping skills and active participation during our Global training in Spanish.
“My passion for maps has been with me for as long as I can remember. Cartography is a magical discipline. It doesn't just help us see how the world is, but also how it was and how it will likely be.”
Sakshi Verma
Sakshi Verma, our December 2023 Mapper of the month, was a standout student from the course we held with the Radhanath Sikdar Institute of Geospatial
Science & Technology (RSIGST) in Kolkata, India. While new to OpenStreetMap, we anticipate her valuable contributions and growth in the mapping community.
“I find joy in unraveling the stories woven into our geographical tapestry. Mapping is my biggest passion, a gift from my discipline, Geography.”
Raquel Dezidério Souto
Raquel Dezidério Souto, is our November 2023 Mapper of the Month. She is a passionate advocate for Free and Open Software, President of IVIDES.org, and a Ph.D. in Geography from Brazil. She participated in our Global training in Portuguese and she empowers others through her "Mapping with OpenStreetMap" course.
“I believe that mapping can offer the chance for people to report their data. By carrying out mapping in this manner, I hope to promote a bottom-up process, with effective public participation”
Gloria Del Puerto
Meet our October 2023 Mapper of the Month: Gloria Del Puerto! Hailing from Paraguay, Gloria is an accomplished environmental engineer with a passion for GIS and cartography. She participated in our English global training, making a significant contribution to mapping and continuing her activity in the following months.
“I believe maps can provide critical information needed to improve decision making and implement solutions and are especially important when it comes to humanitarian assistance, where time can be critical, and the available resources are limited.”
Eduard Reñe Cherto
Our September 2023 Mapper of the month is Eduard Reñe Cherto. Currently living in Kenya, Eduard brings a dynamic blend of skills as a Building Engineer with a heart for volunteer humanitarian mapping. Notably, he shone as one of the most engaged participants in our global English training.
“The motivation to do good things for others, the fact that this data can be used for a positive purpose, is what I enjoy the most about mapping. I would love to be more involved in some projects to feel closer to the excitement of doing good.”
Nnadozie Uzoma Onyeukwu
Our Mapper of the month for August 2023 is Nnadozie Uzoma Onyeukwu. He is nigerian geospatial intelligence analyst with expertise in GIS, currently based in Germany. Nnadozie has a Bachelor's in Urban Planning, and he is pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master's in Geospatial Technology. He recently organized a mapathon at the Institute for Geoinformatics (IFGI) in Münster to map the road network in Somalia.
“The process of mapping missing places, whether they are roads, buildings, or points of interest, fills me with a deep sense of fulfillment. Knowing that these efforts provide crucial data for those who lack the means to put themselves on the map gives my work a profound purpose.”
Pedro André Faria
Pedro André Faria is an active member of the UNMappers community.
He is the winner of the MapRoulette Challenge, a three-day mapathon aimed at mapping missing roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC).
His mapping skills were also showcased in 2021 when he secured first place in the UNMap Marathon.
“Continue to be agents of change, and to believe that part of your time has improved remote and vulnerable areas.”
João Pedro de Andrade Eduardo
João Pedro de Andrade Eduardo is a brazilian geographer with a master’s degree in Geography from the State University of Rio de Janeiro.
He has distinguished himself during the “OSM and Humanitarian Mapping” training that was conducted in Portuguese.
“It's important to highlight that collaborative cartography is essential, especially in places where geospatial data is still sparse.”
Sango Bishiri Narcisse
Sango Bishiri Narcisse is software engineer based in Chad.
He has distinguished himself during the global training that was conducted in French.
“I often map to improve myself and gain a better understanding of the tool. Also, I map to positively manage my free time after my daily tasks.”
Ingrid Reine Fotso Tuedjo
Ingrid Reine Fotso Tuedjo is our mapper of the month for April 2023. Ingrid is a student in surveying and topography at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Travaux Publics in Yaoundé. She is enthusiast in all aspects about all aspects related to GIS. She organized a training course for the students at her university to introduce OpenStreetMap and approach it with great dedication.
“I feel useful and proud to contribute to OpenStreetMap and look forward to getting more engaged in social and humanitarian projects.”
Said Turksever
Said Turksever is a Geomatics Engineer, OpenStreetMap contributor and community builder. Together with the OSM community in Türkiye, he coordinated the disaster response and global mapping work on OSM from day 0 after the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Türkiye on the 6th of February 2023.
“Open geodata is critical for responding to disasters during emergency and recovery response. OpenStreetMap data has been used for supporting rescue teams and humanitarian effort, understanding damage and decision making during recovery activities.”
Sajeevini Sivajothy
Sajeevini Sivajothy is a Geography student, passionate about GIS, at the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Batticaloa, who contacted us a few months ago to organise a training course for students at her university. During the training, Sajeevini was very active and committed to the involvement of the participants.
“I really love mapping. Maps are a great tool for disaster response and urban planning and they give me the opportunity to learn about other places in the world.”
Ronald Ontiveros
Ronald Ernesto Ontiveros Capurata, Ronald Ontiveros in OSM, is our mapper of the month for January. Ronald, a researcher in remote sensing and GIS based in Mexico, recently participated in the UN Maps workshop held at the Polytechnic University of Valencia in November. Since then, he has continued to contribute, trying to transmit his passion among his students and collaborators.
“Mapping allows me to contribute to a subject I am passionate about: geographic information. It is an opportunity to "know" other places through maps and knowing that the data created is used by UN Peacekeeping missions makes the work more attractive.”
Frans Schutz
Frans Schutz, Frans S in OSM, is our mapper of the month for December. Frans is a retiree living in Hulst, the Netherlands, devoting his time to validating data, working to increase the quality of OSM, and helping new contributors improve their skills.
“In recent years I have been working "full time" as a validator as far as you can work full time as a retiree. I get satisfaction from knowing that my contributions matter.”
Włodzimierz Bartczak
Włodzimierz Bartczak (Cristoffs in OSM) is a Polish mapper who actively participates in his country's OpenStreetMap community and has recently discovered UN Mappers. He is interested in tourism, cartography and new technologies.
“Maps have always fascinated me. When I grew up, they were a window on the world. Over the years, I used them to plan my leisure time. Then I discovered OpenStreetMap and found that I could also create them and help others with my work.”
Theresa Vieira
Theresa Vieira, a retired project manager living in California, is the UN mapper of the month for October. Theresa, Tess2344 in OSM, has been contributing to UN Mappers' projects for over a year, making a valuable contribution in supporting peacekeeping missions. In mapping, she has found both a way to apply her technical skills and a way to support causes that matter to her.
"I missed the technical part of my job and this was a way for me to do something technical as well as support great causes. It has almost become part of my daily routine to map with my morning coffee."
Bartosz Racławski
Bartosz Racławski, “ptarac” in OSM, is our Mapper of the Month of September. Bartosz is a Polish forester, a passionate naturalist and ornithologist who participates both in national and international Openstreetmap humanitarian projects.
"OpenStreetMap offers a wide range of information that is useful in providing help and in emergency situations"
Arne Kimmig
Arne Kimmig (AwoowoArne in OSM) is our Mapper of the Month of August. Arne is a German retired mathematician who enjoys volunteering in archeological and humanitarian projects. From the very beginning he made a great contribution to our projects in Somalia, being one of our first contributors and one of the most active mappers in the country.
"Apart from doing my bit for humanitarian projects, mapping gives me insight into landscapes and how these might influence the living and the culture of the inhabitants and vice versa how the people shape their environment."
Yunita Sari
Yunita Sari from Jakarta is an experienced mapper who firmly believes in the usefulness of open data for disaster response. Yunita recently joined the UN Mappers effort in Libya, doing a fantastic job mapping buildings together with the members of Perkumpulan OpenStreetMap Indonesia.
"My motivation for carrying out mapping is to contribute to disaster response, especially in affected areas. Furthermore, mapping results can reduce the risk of disasters in the future."
Yacouba Diarra
Yacouba Diarra, a young geographer from Mali, is an excellent trainer, committed to the mission of making OSM and its tools known in his community. He has participated in our courses and was the best mapper during the buildings mapathon in Tripoli, conducted together with OSM Libya.
"I love mapping, first out of passion and then to save the World by contributing to facilitate access to cartographic data. Mapping is an excellent communication tool for governance."
Abdurahman Al Furjani
Abdurahman, Chair of OpenStreetMap Libya Association, with over 28,000 edits in OSM provided his precious contribution to peacekeeping missions and the UN Mappers project in Libya aimed at delivering a 3D digital replica of the city of Tripoli. Furthermore, he is also involved in the translation of our Learning Hub into Arabic with OSM Libya.
"Mapping is essential to enable digital transformation and sustainable development. Mapping is the key to Location Intelligence."
Derick Ssekitoleko
Derick, a humanitarian mapper from Uganda, has distinguished himself not only by his contributions to mapping projects but also by being one of the most active members of the community. He indeed participates actively in our Discord server, by asking several interesting questions to improve his skills
"I enjoy mapping because I believe the data I provide is being used for humanitarian purposes and I truly value helping others."
Pedro André Faria
Pedro, from Portugal, won the 2021 UN Map Marathon. He is dedicated to have a positive impact on the world. For making a difference he has participated in different humanitarian mapping projects, including UN Mappers.
"Participating in mapping seems like a simple way to make a big difference in the lives of real people from my laptop"
Carine Moukom
Carine partecipated to the 12 hours training course held in collaboration between UN Mappers and Eureka Geo, a Cameroon based learning center with the goal to develop local entrepeneurship with young professionals. She classified as best mapper all over the training.
"Participating in this training was a great experience for me, I was able to make my modest contribution to promote peace in these areas, it also allowed me to better orient my career choices. This initiative would be beneficial for Cameroon, it would allow poor people to participate in economic and social environments to enjoy a decent life."
Charly Ebeh
Charly partecipated to the 12 hours training course held in collaboration between UN Mappers and Eureka Geo, a Cameroon based learning center with the goal to develop local entrepeneurship with young professionals. He classified as best mapper all over the training.
"Collaborative mapping is very beneficial for Cameroon, because it integrates actors from various horizons in order to solve territorial problems and improve decision making within institutions. Participate to this kind of initiative is very instructive for my career as Geomatics specialist."
Yves Emmanuel Nikoyo Emougou
Yves is a young professional from Cameroon. He won the UN Map Marathon event, classifying as the best mapper over a 5-day mapping activity in occasion of the OSM GeoWeek.
"I like the UN Map Marathon because it brings together several contributors who produce data for a humanitarian cause. This event also inspired me: in the near future I plan to organise a similar activity with my community."
Limo Kipchirchir Collins
Limo is a young student from Kenya, who has been selected after a competitive logo contest to bring his design to be the official logo of UN Mappers. After an initial logo revision, he had the possibility to cooperate with our Design Squad to produce a professional and outstanding brand.
"Thank you for providing me with such an honor. It has been amazing to work with the UN Mappers team and
get acknowledged for my efforts. I will keep supporting UN Mappers at the best of my possibilities!"