Beyond Borders: Collaborative Mapping for Regional Development

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The inaugural YouthMappers Regional Virtual Conference was held on July 20–21, 2024, and it was a tremendous success. Organized by the YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors for Africa, the conference brought together over 150 students, alumni, geospatialists, and mapping enthusiasts from across the African continent. Themed "Beyond Borders: Collaborative Mapping for Regional Development," the event aimed to showcase the transformative potential of collaborative mapping initiatives in Africa. Here’s a detailed recap of the event's highlights, topics covered, and overall reflections.

Objectives

1. Foster Regional Collaboration: To bring together YouthMappers chapters from across Africa to share experiences and collaborate on mapping projects.

2. Knowledge Sharing: To provide a platform for sharing insights, innovations, and best practices in geospatial technology and mapping.

3. Youth Empowerment: To inspire and empower young mappers through presentations and interactive sessions.

4. Community Building: To strengthen the YouthMappers network and build a supportive community of geospatial enthusiasts.

Day 1: July 20, 2024

Welcome and Introduction: The conference commenced with a warm welcome from the event moderator, Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo, YouthMappers Regional Ambassador, who outlined the conference theme and objectives and encouraged participants to stay engaged throughout the day.

Overview of YouthMappers: Ibrahim provided an extensive overview of YouthMappers, detailing the organization’s mission, its presence in over 77 countries, and contributions to global mapping efforts, including the mapping of buildings, roads, and amenities.

YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors Session:

The session featured insights from key Regional Ambassadors: Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo (Sierra Leone), Erick Tamba (Tanzania), Jimmerville (Congo Brazzaville), Maurine Oyugi (Kenya), Bukola (Nigeria).

The YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors Session provided valuable insights into impactful work across Africa. Key highlights included:

• Reflections on how their involvement with YouthMappers started and evolved over time, illustrating their personal and professional growth.

• Shared experiences of the challenges faced along their journey and the solutions they implemented to address various community issues.

• Provided examples of innovative solutions they brought forth to tackle local challenges and enhance community development, with a focus on improving infrastructure, mapping health facilities, and educational institutions—demonstrating their positive impact on community development in their various regions.

• Discussed the role of mapping in emergency response, highlighting successful initiatives and strategies used to address and manage crises effectively.

• Offered motivational messages encouraging YouthMappers members to continue their great work, highlighting their role as future leaders of the YouthMappers community.

  
  

These highlights underscored the diverse and impactful contributions of the YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors, reflecting their commitment to leveraging geospatial technology for community development across Africa.

Speakers Session: Moderated by Erick Tamba (Tanzania) and Gift Desire (Uganda), the session featured a range of impactful presentations from speakers across Africa:

• Denis Mutwiri Muthitu (Kenya) highlighted empowering youth through mapping: building future leaders.

• Antonny Castro Ogembo (Kenya) emphasized mapping for resilient communities: strengthening local capacities and community-led mapping projects and their impact on local resilience.

• Abdul Medizo Kamara (Sierra Leone) also discussed mapping for resilient communities: strengthening local capacities. He emphasized the role of mapping in building resilient communities and improving disaster preparedness.                     

Interactive Session:Day 1 concluded with engaging quiz sessions using Slido, moderated by Bukola (Nigeria), that tested participants' knowledge of YouthMappers initiatives and African issues. The interactive element fostered an engaging atmosphere and promoted active participation. The games concluded with the announcement of the top three winners.

Day 2: July 21, 2024

Welcome and Introduction: Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo, the event moderator, welcomed participants to Day 2, setting the stage for another day of insightful discussions and presentations.

Reflections from 2024 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows: This session was moderated by Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo (Sierra Leone) and Bukola (Nigeria). The 2024 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows provided valuable reflections from the YouthMappers Summit in Thailand: Alvin (Malawi), Karabo (South Africa), Adamu (Nigeria), America Elohor Jane (Nigeria).

They highlighted key insights:

• Shared his chapter’s activities, achievements, and networking opportunities gained at the summit. He highlighted the connections made with other chapters and the collaborative efforts initiated.

• Discussed the role of geospatial data in agriculture and its contribution to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). She emphasized how the summit broadened her understanding of how mapping can address food security challenges.

• Shared insights on the summit's impact on his approach to mapping and community engagement.

• Discussed how the summit’s insights on technology use in mapping are being applied to enhance local projects.

Speakers Session: Moderated by Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo (Sierra Leone), this session featured speakers who discussed diverse topics:

• Trevour Jeanclaude (Uganda) discussed geospatial innovations for achieving SDGs, focusing on healthcare and agriculture.

• America Elohor Jane (Nigeria) delivered a practical session on using JOSM (Java OpenStreetMap Editor) for mapping buildings, roads, and adding points.

• Nura Muhammad (Nigeria) discussed the use of geospatial techniques in agriculture and challenges faced by farmers.

Interactive Games: Two interactive quiz sessions using Slido tested participants’ knowledge of YouthMappers and general topics. The sessions were both fun and competitive, with the top three performers receiving special recognition.

Closing Remarks: The conference concluded with closing remarks from Maurine Oyugi, YouthMappers Regional Ambassador (Kenya), who thanked all participants, speakers, and fellows. She highlighted the importance of staying connected and continuing to share knowledge within the YouthMappers community.

Acknowledgement: A heartfelt thank you to the YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors, 2024 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows, esteemed speakers, and all participants for making this conference a memorable and impactful event. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts and building on the momentum generated during this conference.

Overall ReflectionsThe YouthMappers Regional Virtual Conference was a great success, bringing together over 150 participants from across Africa. The event highlighted the impactful work of YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors, including community engagement, capacity-building projects, and innovative mapping initiatives. Participants gained insights into leveraging geospatial technologies for sustainable development, environmental conservation, and gender inclusivity. Reflections from the 2024 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows emphasized the role of geospatial data in agriculture and achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). The conference concluded with engaging interactive games and inspiring discussions, reinforcing YouthMappers' commitment to building maps and future leaders.

The event's success was evident from the enthusiastic participation and positive feedback. It was a powerful reminder that YouthMappers not only build maps but also build mappers, empowering youth to drive positive change in their communities.

The YouthMappers Regional Virtual Conference was a resounding success, achieving its objectives of fostering regional collaboration, knowledge sharing, youth empowerment, and community building. The event demonstrated the power of collaborative mapping and the potential of the YouthMappers network to drive regional development in Africa. We look forward to building on this success in future events and continuing to support the growth and impact of YouthMappers across the continent.

About the Author

Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo is a graduate from Central University Sierra Leone, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Business Administration and Management. With a passion for geospatial data and mapping, Ibrahim actively participated in various mapping projects. He is a 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow and served as the chapter president of Central University YouthMappers, Sierra Leone from 2021-2022.

In 2021, Ibrahim contributed to the Mapping Power campaign in Sierra Leone. In 2022, he played a vital role in mapping financial institutions and learning facilities in the Mile 91 community. During his undergraduate studies, Ibrahim served as the President of the Creative Young Programmers' Association and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Central University Students' Union Government.

Committed to youth empowerment, Ibrahim founded the Youth with Creativity and Positive Mindset Network Sierra Leone, promoting peace-building and community engagement. Recognitions include the title of Youth Peace Ambassador at the 2022 Sierra Leone National Youth Leadership Summit and being named one of the 50 Most Influential Students in Sierra Leone in 2022.

Currently, Ibrahim is pursuing a Master of Business Administration with a specialty in Human Resources Management at the University of Makeni. He also serves as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Central University Sierra Leone, contributing to research endeavors and supporting students' learning.