The problems we are facing today are occurring more often and are more catastrophic than ever before, ranging from frequent natural disasters to the uncertain health pandemics. Because they are global issues, they are something we should tackle, think through, and act on globally. YouthMappers has maintained its dignity in bringing youth from around the world to a global stage where their voices can be heard, echoed, and amplified as we collectively identify and search for solutions to these global issues.
I enrolled in a Bachelor's Degree program in Geomatics Engineering at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal because of my passion for geospatial data and how it has a significant impact in every aspect of society. I first heard about YouthMappers during my freshman year in my orientation class and was amazed by how a university chapter could do so much with very little resources. The notion and motto of YouthMappers not just building the map but building mappers drove me more and this passion led me to eventually serve as the secretary of the Geomatics Engineering Students’ Association of Nepal at Tribhuvan University for the fourth executive committee.
I am really passionate about solving and mitigating environmental problems using earth observation data. In order to know more about the current situation of disasters and learn from leading environmental experts, I started my internship at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in July 2021. My work under the Resilience to Disasters and Conflicts Global Support Branch (RDCGSB) focuses on reviewing the key applications of fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies (Drones and AI) in disaster risk reduction. The journey has become truly a magnifying glass for me to look closely at current scenarios and status of the environment and how modern technologies can be useful in solving them.
As the saying goes, “We should not wait for the opportunities but create them ourselves”. Reflecting on that thought, I would add from what I have learned is to never second-guess myself if I will be worthy of the position before applying or even taking a slightest chance because the worst we can get is rejection and that is far better than sticking to the doubts.
Reminiscing on my journey of being a novice in a field to leading a YouthMappers chapter and now working for the government and interning at UNEP, I can say that my insecurities and doubts from then have transitioned into confidence. Though I am now an alumnus, I learned about leadership, communication, and coordination skills from being a part of YouthMappers and those are the assets I can treasure my whole life.
I remember the time when I got an email notifying me of my selection for Global YouthMappers Challenge in 2019. I was overwhelmed with joy and it made me more aware of the ways we can present our work on the global stage and our range of impact. The experience of presenting to an international audience was an important catalyst in my life that has since pushed me to aim higher and I'm pretty sure the opportunities like this one would propel every student.
To conclude, here’s a very positive note by Malala Yousafzai, “Do not wait for someone to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.” Thanks to YouthMappers for being the voice of the voiceless on global platforms!
Aman has written for the YouthMappers blog previously, read his posts Let's Map: OSM Training 2018, My Diary: SotM Asia 2019, and A Learning Journey: An experience with HOT.