The UN Mapper of the month - April 2022
Meet our mapper of the month for April! He is Derick Ssekitoleko, a humanitarian mapper from Uganda, who has distinguished himself not only by his contributions to mapping projects but also by being one of the most active members of the community. Ssekitoleko has a great passion for mapping activities and has shown a great willingness to learn, participating actively in our Discord server by asking several interesting questions to improve his skills.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a Humanitarian mapper from Uganda. I started Humanitarian mapping in February 2018. Since then, I have been able to contribute in various projects, mainly in poor countries in Africa and other countries across the globe. I have worked in various projects for the following major purposes: disaster response, public health, peacekeeping missions, gender based violence and Female Genital mutilation, disaster preparedness and urban planning.
I grew up as an orphan, having lost my parents at the age of 10. Different people have helped me in my life , giving me an opportunity to learn and understand the power of helping and volunteering. That's why I decided to support the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap projects and I have helped various communities by providing free open data. Through doing so I have been able to map in 43 countries and I am still hoping to contribute in other countries in the future.
How did you know about UN Mappers?
I joined UN Mappers through Facebook. There I was able to ask some questions and I started mapping.
Do you enjoy mapping? Why ?
Yes, I enjoy mapping because I believe the data I provide is being used for humanitarian purposes and I truly value helping others.
In which countries do you map the most?
I map in Uganda, my country, and in Tanzania for protecting young girls and women against Female Genital mutilation and Gender based Violence. I also map a lot in Somalia, supporting peacekeeping mission through the UN Mappers projects. As well, I mapped in South Sudan, for the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Furthermore, I gave my contribution in Madagascar, mapping roads in the Vakinankaratra region, in support of the IIEP UNESCO/UN Mappers project.
