Aasia Pacific Hub and World Vision Bangladesh Field Mapping and Data collecion Experience.

Open Mapping Guru, Brazil Singh in a field visit and data collection in Mirpur and Duaripara, Dhaka.

On Thursday 21 March 2024, I received invitation from Open Mapping Hub Asia Pacific & also brilliant Mikko Tamura, Community Manager for Asia and the Pacific at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, for the coordination of OM Guru for Dhaka Field Visit & Data Collection. I was so much exited, and I accepted the invitation instantly. And then I got the news about the guests who are coming to Bangladesh and they were Can Unen, Senior Manager for Community & Partnerships, Humanitarian Openstreetmap Team , Honey Grace Fombuena, GIS AnalystGIS Analyst, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team and Harry Mahardhika Machmud, Senior Program Manager for Asia-Pacific at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

On 27 March 2024 I went to World Vision Bangladesh and there i met with other OM Gurus and also with World Vision Bangladesh’s staff members and with vouleenters. So basically we divided into three teams. Where I was leading the mapiliary with Harry and other two GURUS are in ODK with Miss Honey and Field Paper with Can Unen. We selected two areas in Mirpur for field visit and data collection. First on was Duaripara and second one was Milat Camp. So first I trained the voulenteers and my team members about mapiliary and how to collect data. Then we went to the field visit. So, in the field, we mapiliary team divided into two groups, one group went inside the slum and collected data and another one group collected data from outside. We collected data in 1.30 hours and it was an amazing experience. Like from the field, collecting street level images. It was really amazing.

So after completing the field trip, we come back to office, and we discuss the problems, weakness, strength and opportunities of that area. We also talked with local people to know which main things basically they need. The ODK team also detected so many problems and also the field papers, which was superb. And after finishing the work, we were invited for the dinner near office. So after the office, We went to the restaurant which was also in MIrpur. The restaurant was in a beautiful place with metro rail area. So the iftar dinner was also amazing, where we 12 gurus and 3 AP Hub Members and also Tasauf A (Ribin) Baki Billah bhaiya, Executive Director at Bangladesh Open Innovation Lab (BOIL), and SM Sawan Shariar, Regional Ambassador of Youthmappers were present. After finishing the iftar dinner, we went for coffee. And there we spend quality times and discuss a lot of things about OpenStreetMap and also the traditions of our country. And after that we take a group photo and leave the resturant. When I am writing this diary, I am missing them so much.

AP Hub members met together and share an Iftar with the Open Mapping Gurus in the OpenStreetMap Bangladesh Community

Now I am going to share some funny moments Which I will never forget. That is our OM guru Khan Mohhamad reached office before me and met with Miss Honey and fun part is that Miss Honey thought that is Brazil. And when I met with Miss Honey, she thoughts that I am Khan. And she started giving me some tasks of ODK. At that moment, we both didn’t know that she didn’t recognize me. So when Harry comes and told that he is mapiliary, Miss Honey is saying, “No, he is Khan, ODK one. Then I told that no, I am Brazil. Then she was laughing and said, then why you agreed to the task. Hahahaha, then I told that I love tasks. And funfact is that before knowing me like when she didn’t know that I am Brazil, we have had lunch togther and discussed so many things. And another moment is when we were in break, Can Unen, challenged me for 8 Ball pool, but the issue was Wi-Fi problem, and we played game togther. Also, I played Mobile legends with Miss Honey. And also so much memory created when we were dicusssing so many things. Soon I am going to launch something better for the OSM community with HOT and Open Mapping Hub.