Introduction

Hello, fellow mappers! I’m excited to share my experiences as a part of the Open Mapping Guru Fellowship program for 2024. This journey has been an amazing mix of learning, challenges, and making a real impact in the world of open mapping.

From OSM Beginner to Validation Fellow

My OpenStreetMap (OSM) journey began in October 2021 during a training organized by the Geomatics Engineering Students’ Association of Nepal (GESAN). I was immediately drawn to the collaborative nature of OSM and its ability to create free, up-to-date maps for everyone. I wanted to do more than just make edits. That’s when I found out about the OM Guru Fellowship, which has tracks for Mapping, Training, and Validation. The Validation track really interested me, and I was lucky to be selected for it. Knowing that my work helps create reliable maps for disaster response, humanitarian efforts, and other important uses gives me a strong sense of purpose. It feels good to know that behind every useful map, there are contributors working hard to make sure it’s right.

Fellowship Experience:

Being a part of OM Guru Fellowship was more than just learning new skills; it was a transformative experience. The fellowship made me think critically about data quality and gave me more knowledge of powerful validation tools. From OSMCha and Osmose for thorough quality checks to MapRoulette for fun task completion, I learned to find and fix errors precisely. Each task was a new challenge, keeping me engaged and helping me improve as a validator.

My Learnings:

The biggest lesson I learned from the fellowship is the power of collaboration in open mapping. Every validation task, every discussion and every challenge shows the collective effort that goes into creating high-quality maps. It’s humbling to be part of this global network of passionate individuals, all working towards the same goal – a more accurate and accessible map for everyone.

My Achievement

My biggest achievement through this fellowship is knowing that my validation efforts have made OpenStreetMap more reliable and trustworthy. Every error I fixed and every improved highway crossing is a step towards making these maps valuable tools for communities in need. This journey with the OM Guru Fellowship has been incredible. I’m very grateful to the entire team at Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific, especially Mikko and Dinar, for their guidance and support. As I continue my mapping journey, I’m committed to using my validation skills to help communities and contribute to a more resilient future for all. This is just the beginning of my OSM story. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Happy mapping!

Tags: #OpenMapping #DataValidation #HumanitarianMapping #OSM #MappingGuruFellowship #OpenStreetMap #GESAN #OMHAP #OMGuru