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Iliya Philemon Mato

An Encounter with YouthMappers: A Life-Changing Journey

Acknowledgment: This post was delayed in publication and may contain outdated information. We appreciate your understanding.


"No matter who they are or where they are from, young people with skills right now are invaluable." - Unknown



I have always been a good student of Geography. Back in secondary school, what I remembered most and always looked forward to were the field trips. However, I never thought of a career in Geography. I had always wanted to study Computer Science, so when I got admission to study Geography Education, I asked myself, 'What can I do with this that involves a computer?' At the time, all I knew about GIS was that it is an acronym for Geographic Information System. But because it allows me to use a computer to understand geographic phenomena, I became very interested in learning more. Plus, at the time, I was still looking for a reason to further my studies in Geography. So, when I was introduced to YouthMappers in my 200-level year, it was like, 'Aha… welcome home.'




I was introduced to YouthMappers at a time when Nigerian university lecturers were on strike, which lasted for nine months. I remember our first training was held under a tree because all the classes and offices were locked. At the time, the strike was in its third month, and many students were at home, hoping the strike would end so they could return to school. However, my engagement with YouthMappers changed the story for me. It provided me with a platform where I could learn, network, and use my knowledge for community development.


I was introduced in May of 2022 by a lecturer at my school who happens to be the YouthMappers faculty advisor. He invited me to a training session where the University of Jos chapter would be recruiting new members to complete a project: field mapping of social amenities, including financial institutions, religious centers, health services, police stations, etc., in Jos North Local Government of Plateau State, Nigeria. This was the first project carried out by the chapter.


At the training, we were welcomed by the chapter president and the faculty advisor. They gave us a general orientation and background of the YouthMappers organization, what they stand for, and what we stand to benefit from joining the chapter. However, I had already done my research beforehand, so I came fully prepared to absorb everything that would be taught at the training. During the course of the training, we were taught how to install and configure mobile mapping tools such as OsmAnd, OSM Tracker, and Mappillary. We were shown how to use these tools to upload data onto OpenStreetMap. Additionally, we were taught how to use iD Editor to make changes to OpenStreetMap. At the end of the day, we carried out some field mapping to practice the newly acquired skills. Overall, the event was exciting, engaging, and educational.


After the training and executing the project, I wanted to be more involved in my local chapter. I followed YouthMappers on all their social media handles, downloaded, and watched all the training videos I could find on their YouTube channel. From there, I learned about the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), the HOT Task Manager, and how to contribute to projects on the Tasking Manager. I also learned about other mapping platforms and tools such as LearnOSM, Java OpenStreetMap (JOSM) Editor, and Kobo Toolbox by interacting with the YouthMappers website and YouTube channel.


I first saw the advertisement for the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit on social media before our faculty advisor shared it on the chapter’s WhatsApp group. At first, I thought I needed to be part of the network for a long time before I could qualify, but he encouraged everyone to apply, so I did. I followed the link, read and understood the requirements, and then applied. After about a month, I was contacted by YouthMappers with the news that I had been selected for the fellowship. You can imagine my reaction—I couldn't believe it. From reading about leadership fellows to having the opportunity to become one, I was overjoyed (if that’s even a word). I had to read the email three times to be sure I understood what I had just read. This announcement gave me hope that I could be part of something bigger than myself while doing what I love. Ever since then, it has been a journey of learning and networking for me. It has given me a new vision—a humanitarian outlook on life in a way I had never imagined before.


YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit:


 I've always known I'm a leader, but attending the summit awakened the leader in me. It opened my eyes to the reality of the impact I can make as an individual, but even more than that, it made me realize the impact we can achieve when we come together and unite toward a common goal. In this case, we are united in mapping for climate resilience, united in activating youth leadership, and united in promoting equity and inclusion. One of the catchphrases during the summit was, 'If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.' We choose to go together because our vision is to empower as many young people as possible with the skills to define their world by mapping it.




There’s not enough room here for me to start talking about the things I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve gained during the summit—that will be evident in the work I do moving forward. That being said, I have so many fond memories of the summit. I have established relationships with fellows and mentors from around the world, and I’ve learned a lot from the diversity of cultures and the unity of purpose. I realized that despite our geographical distances, the challenges we face in our various communities are similar. It is clear that if we are to prosper as a people, community, and nation, we need to find a path through sustainable development. We, as YouthMappers, have a very important role to play by creating geospatial data that helps bridge the gap between policymakers and quality decision-making. Additionally, our close relationship with local communities enables us to collect information with specific local context, giving us the opportunity to break down scientific content into terms the local people can understand, while enlightening them on sustainable development pathways and how to build resilience in their communities.

The highlight of the summit for me was when I was selected by my fellows to represent them on the Mapping for Climate Resilience panel during our final presentation. It was a challenge for me because this was my first international summit, and here I was, selected to be on a panel. But that’s what YouthMappers does for you—here, everyone is equal, and every voice matters. As I love to say, 'We don’t get to choose who gets on the map; everyone deserves to be on the map.


I came back from the YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit with the mindset of a transformational leader. I have been transformed from an ordinary undergraduate student, burdened by the challenges faced by university students in a developing country, into a young leader passionate about improving community resilience through mapping. I am now focused on activating youth leadership by encouraging fellow young people to take on active roles and make a positive impact in their communities, while also promoting equity and inclusion everywhere I find myself.

Now, there’s nothing I want more than to see young people experience the kind of transformation I have experienced. YouthMappers is truly an agent of change, and it is on the frontline for sustainable development because, simply by engaging young people, it is driving several of the SDGs set by the United Nations. To find out more about what they are doing for the SDGs, download and read the book Open Mapping Towards Sustainable Development Goals. You can also watch the YouthMappers documentary on YouTube. Join the movement today and map the change you want to see. Finally, to fellow young people around the world, there has never been a better time to be young. Let’s take advantage of the technology at our disposal to be changemakers in our communities. Let’s drive local actions that create global impact. Let’s stand together for the SDGs.


About the Author

Iliya Philemon Mato is an undergraduate student studying Geography Education. A 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow, Iliya currently serves as the President of the University of Jos YouthMappers chapter. He is curious about geospatial technology and data and is passionate about advancing the sustainable development of humanity.

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