Training with the National Advanced School of Public Works (ENSTP), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Located in the heart of Yaounde, Cameroon, is the ENSTP (National Advanced School of Public Works). This school provides training for engineers in different fields such as Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Town Planning, Architecture and Land Surveys. The students here are introduced to concepts like topography, geodesy, projections, cartography, GIS and sustainable development. These make the student community in this school a target of high potential as concerns initiation to participative mapping.
In April 2022, a training course on the basics of humanitarian and participative mapping was launched. It was organized by UN Mappers, in partnership with the CLUB TOPO in school, with the goal of introducing the students to the OSM initiative and importance, the role of UN Mappers, and how to provide quality data through accurate mapping in OSM editors. The training globally met high interest from the club members as they proved to be very enthusiastic and alert.
Participants faced obstacles such as unreliable internet access and conflicting schedules, which led to delay the participation in the weekly training sessions. These issues were compound by the diverse levels and departments of the participating students.
To address this issue, the trainer patiently reviewed previous sessions for the benefit of those who missed the weekly training. Additionally, the UN Mappers Learning Hub provided a convenient resource for participants to complete their training and succeed in evaluations.
In March 2023, under a new bureau at the CLUB TOPO, a 2 days OSM event was organized on campus, marking the final requirement for participants to obtain their Certificate of Completion. The success of the event was made possible through the active participation of six students: Bryan Foh, Engelbert Modo, Arnold Njila, Ingrid Fotso, Junior Yamgoue, and Olivier Kamdem. They were involved in advertising the event, welcoming participants, providing technical assistance, and mentoring. As a result of their efforts, the team was able to attract new participants, including first-year students, who showed a keen interest in OSM.
The local OSM team is grateful for the presence of Yves Emmanuel Nikoyo, a seasoned mapper with OSM Cameroon and co-chair of the State of the Map-Cameroon initiative, and his generous contribution in training the students and supporting the OSM event they organized. Notably, Yves Emmanuel also served as the administrator for the mapathon in which the students participated in October 2022, which involved mapping buildings and roads in Mbouda, a town in West Cameroon. His expertise and dedication were instrumental in the success of the students' training and the subsequent OSM event.
The team is currently undertaking an initiative to establish an OSM chapter in their school.
This effort aims to provide mentoring for interested first-year students, and opportunities to enhance their skills. Moreover, the upcoming State of the Map Africa event, scheduled to take place in Yaounde, Cameroon later this year, presents a significant opportunity for team members to enrich their knowledge and expand their network. As such, they are actively seeking ways to contribute to the organization of this grand event, alongside other organizations. These endeavors signify promising prospects for participatory mapping enthusiasts at ENSTP, fostering a bright future for this vibrant community.
