By Paulo Haule (UDSM), and Msilikale Msilanga (UTU)

On May 7th, the Resilience Academy and OMDTZ organized a Mapathon at CoICT, The University of Dar es Salaam. The event aimed to provide skills related to Open Source, OSM, geospatial, and other relevant fields. It was a one-day event that brought together university students, mentors, and the OSM mapping community to learn and contribute to open digital mapping. OMDTZ, in collaboration with Resilience Academy, facilitated the event, focusing on using OpenStreetMap (OSM) tools to map underrepresented areas and strengthen community resilience through open data.

This is part of the Resilience Academy mission to continue to work with the Universities in Tanzania and beyond to improve digital skills, competences, and employment experiences of the African youth for more effective disaster risk management and climate resilience.

By the end of the event, participants not only acquired new technical skills but also contributed valuable data to the OpenStreetMap platform. The event raised awareness about the power of open-source tools and data in addressing real challenges in communities. It also highlighted the importance of youth involvement in mapping and data collection efforts.