YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors support network sustainability and foster an inclusive global community
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Selected for their demonstrated leadership, YouthMappers Regional Ambassadors mentor student leadership and provide support to chapters through in-person technical training to ensure data quality in OSM contributions. As regional facilitators, they carry the unique opportunity and responsibility to elevate students' voices and contributions to open mapping. Read about previous Regional Ambassador teams and activities carried out between 2019- 2022 here. Learn more about our current team of Regional Ambassadors below.
Connect with them and other YouthMappers in your region!
AFRICA
Babalola Oluwabukola Kemisola
Based in Nigeria
Bukola is an undergraduate student of Meteorology and Climate Science in one of the leading universities in Nigeria, The Federal University of Technology, Akure. Her interest is deeply rooted in engaging in projects that are geared towards community and global development through volunteerism. She has been able to carry out projects targeted towards solving climate problems like assessing the environmental impacts of quarrying activities, plastic pollution, etc., Thanks to her background in climate science. She is always on the lookout for the possibilities of utilizing technical skills like GIS to solve and respond to climate and environmental challenges. Bukola is well known among her peers as an advocate for the climate and environmental conservation and uses YouTube as a platform to reach a larger audience (The Weather and Everything with Bukola Iris). Her key goals involve advancing equity and ensuring a balanced representation of the minority and underrepresented while championing youth leadership. Bukola believes that mapping is an invaluable tool in tackling major challenges facing the world, hence she has been involved in various mapping activities for sustainable development. According to her, the power in the coming together of young people can be harnessed to bring solutions to the troubling issues of the world.
Connect with Bukola on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Desire Gift
Based in Uganda
Desire Gift is a final year student of land surveying and geomatics at Makerere University in Uganda. She is part of the GeoYouthMappers chapter at Makerere University, was selected as a 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow, and is a member of OpenStreetMap Uganda. She is genuinely passionate about mentoring, geography, mapping, and developing the next generation of mappers. She actively engages in knowledge sharing, organizes workshops, and guides aspiring mappers in their professional growth. She has a profound passion for field mapping and an innate enthusiasm for engaging with people. Field mapping allows her to combine her technical expertise with her love for the outdoors, enabling her to collect and analyze geospatial data in real-world environments. Beyond the technical aspects, she thoroughly enjoys the interpersonal side of being a part of YouthMappers. She finds immense satisfaction in connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, collaborating with them, and exchanging ideas. Desire firmly believes that effective communication and building strong relationships are integral to successful mapping projects. Recognizing the under-representation of women in the geospatial field, she is passionate about promoting inclusivity and diversity and is deeply committed to expanding and empowering the community of female mappers. As she continues to push boundaries, her ultimate goal is to utilize mapping to drive positive change for society and the environment and expand the community of ladies in geospatial technologies.
Connect with Desire on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Edith Namusamba
Based in Zambia
Edith Namusamba is an undergraduate student at the University of Zambia (UNZA). Driven by her passion for mapping and geospatial data, she has taken on numerous leadership roles and initiatives. As the President of the YouthMappers chapter at UNZA, she leads activities and projects related to mapping to support the chapter's progress in using mapping technologies to address development challenges. Edith's dedication to achieving the UN SDGs has also earned her the position of President of the United Nations Youth Association at UNZA-YUNA. In 2023, Edith participated in the YouthMappers Leadership Summit, where she was recognized as a YouthMappers Leadership Fellow. Additionally, she attended the 2022 SOTM Tanzania conference, further expanding her knowledge and skills in mapping. Edith's engagement in humanitarian efforts stems from her enthusiasm, energy, and passion. Edith's ultimate goal is to empower individuals who are eager to learn and excel in mapping activities, enabling them to make a significant impact in their communities. Her dedication to assisting others, combined with her passion and leadership, positions her as a driving force in promoting inclusion, empowerment, and sustainable development through mapping initiatives. She recognizes the importance of empowering women and girls and utilizes mapping as a powerful tool to address the specific challenges they face in various aspects of development. Through mapping technologies and techniques, Edith aims to identify areas requiring targeted interventions, gather spatial data to inform policy decisions, and raise awareness about the essential role of women and girls in sustainable development endeavors.
Connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
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Erick Tamba Mnyali
Based in Tanzania
Erick is an environmental scientist, researcher, and geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialist with three years of experience in spatial and non-spatial data gathering, modeling, analysis, and visualization. He is serving as a 2023 Tanzanian UN Youth Fellow and the national focal point for the United Federation of Youth for Water and Climate (UN1FY). Erick is also a co-founder of GeoTE Tanzania, a non-governmental organization aimed at utilizing geospatial technology to help address sustainable development goals. In the past three years, through the YouthMappers program, he has helped support data-based decision making towards community climate-related challenges by implementing community open mapping projects using a geographical citizen science approach supported with multi-stakeholder engagement. He dreams to see a network of team players among youth who are focused on finding solutions for their communities by giving out insights and educating their local community, especially marginalized groups, through capacity development and mentorship programs.
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Ibrahim Abdulai Kargbo
Based in Sierra Leone
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. He served as the chapter president of Central University YouthMappers, Sierra Leone from 2021-2022. Notably, in 2021, he 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 a Research and Teaching Assistant at Central University Sierra Leone, contributing to research endeavors and supporting students' learning.
Connect with Ibrahim on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Jimerveille THIERRY-NGOUAMA
Based in Republic of Congo
Jimerveille is currently a final year student at Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO University, studying Geographical Sciences and majoring in Geomatics. He has been involved with YouthMappers since 2021, serving as a Vice-President of the YouthMappers de l'Université Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO chapter and is a 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow. As he strongly believes in networking, being a part of YouthMappers is a great way to connect and build strong relationships with extraordinary people all over the world. Above all, he is a geomatics enthusiast motivated by the acquisition of new skills and abilities in geospatial tools & technologies. He aims to create a dynamic community of OpenStreetMap contributors in the Republic of Congo thanks to his non-governmental organization Map Congo which will promote open mapping and free geospatial tools & technologies.
Connect with Jimerveille on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
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Maurine Kerubo Oyugi
Based in Kenya
Maurine is a Geospatial Engineer graduating from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), a YouthMappers alumna, and a 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow. With a fervent passion for leadership, Maurine served as the president of the YouthMappers JKUAT chapter from 2019 to 2022, actively supporting the community in mapping and utilizing open-source data. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, she actively encourages girls to assume leadership positions and promotes female membership in mapping their stories. She has seen great success with YouthMappers JKUAT AGES receiving the Female Participation Award from 2019 to 2023. Maurine has also dedicated her time to volunteer work and charity endeavors. She secured an international internship at EarthScope Consortium and is conducting a project on Analyzing GNSS data and earthquake catalogs in Oklahoma to understand signals related to induced seismicity and reservoir deformation. The project aims to gain insights into signals related to induced seismicity and reservoir deformation, further advancing the field of geospatial engineering.
Connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube
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Victor Ayomide Ademoyero
Based in Nigeria
Victor Ademoyero is an ambitious and driven student at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, specializing in remote sensing and Geoscience Information System. With notable leadership achievements, Victor has excelled as the Vice President and President of YouthMappers at FUTA, inspiring fellow students to actively engage in mapping and drive positive change in their communities. Over the span of four years, Victor has made significant contributions to OpenStreetMap (OSM), showcasing his expertise in GIS and unwavering commitment to making a difference. He possesses a wealth of experience in both remote and fieldwork contributions to OSM, and has played a key role in supervising GIS fieldwork projects across various organizations. Victor's technical proficiency extends to front-end development, demonstrated through his involvement in creating user-friendly GIS conference websites that advance geospatial technology across Africa. Notably, he was selected as a HOTOSM Data quality Intern in 2020 and actively contributes to the HOTOSM Data Quality Network for the Western & Northern Africa Hub, HOTOSM Global validator, and HOTOSM Training and Working group. Guided by his visionary leadership and passion for empowering the youth, Victor envisions a future where young individuals are actively involved in their communities, voicing their opinions, and driving change through mapping. He aspires to inspire others, fostering a generation that leverages mapping as a powerful tool to shape a better world.
Connect with Victor on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Wendy Mutisse
Based in Mozambique
Wendy Mutisse is a young Mozambican and 4th year undergraduate student of Architecture and Physical Planning at Eduardo Mondlane University. She joined the Comunidade YouthMappers Moçambique chapter in 2022 with the purpose of quickly contributing to the mitigation of global environmental and social problems, especially those that plague her country, realizing and recognizing the power that open data has to promote studies and short, medium and long term solutions that can be implemented to address challenges of different scales and categories. As a member of this chapter, she had the opportunity to participate in the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit. For her, visualizing data is only valuable when it is applied and combined with knowledge, expectations and the will to change the world for the better through our commitment to the development of each community and freedom of expression. In order to achieve this goal, she strongly believes in the need to support and empower more university students as they learn the various techniques of mapping and data analysis. She aims to promote inclusion, especially linguistic and gender inclusion, by making YouthMappers chapters an equitable space for all members to collaborate, and by giving Portuguese speakers more expression and visibility, and creating exchanges between these chapters and others.
AMERICAS
Annaca Sutton
Based in USA
Annaca Sutton is a recent graduate of The George Washington University in Washington D.C. She graduated with a bachelors in both Geography & International Affairs, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. In addition to her role as a Regional Ambassador, she also works as a member of the Validation Hub, and formerly served as both Social Media Coordinator and President of her university’s YouthMappers chapter, The Humanitarian Mapping Society. She is interested in using her geo-spatial knowledge to further her understanding of the relationship between human action and the physical environment. More specifically how climatic changes are connected to anthropogenic sources, and the effects these changes will have in the realms of human migration, species dispersal, and resource availability. Through understanding these connections, she hopes to be a part of implementing change to aid those who are at high risk of being negatively affected by climate phenomena. During her time as a Regional Ambassador, she hopes to strengthen the connections between chapters across the Americas and develop technical skills to ensure high quality data is being uploaded to OSM.
Connect on with Annaca on LinkedIn, OSM
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Caitlin Milne
Based in Trinidad & Tobago
Caitlin is a Trinbagonian Geographer who studied at the University of West Indies Mona Campus. A 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow, she and her fellow colleague Rodane Samuels worked together to reinstate the dormant YouthMappers chapter at their university and became president and vice president of the UWI Mona YouthMappers chapter for the period in 2023. She is presently an Open Mapping Facilitator at the Caribbean School of Data for their Introduction to Open Geospatial Data Course. Caitlin got her love for Geography growing up in the Caribbean, the daughter of two farmers, the family spent weekends on the farmland, and public holidays by the ocean. Through her association with Project Discovery, a Bajan based Caribbean NGO, her interest in the importance of Regionalism was rooted. This was further nurtured through her experience studying in Jamaica. Caitlin is passionate about geography, mapping, farming, ecotourism, sustainability, ecosystem restoration, and community outreach. She desires to share the amazing opportunities the YouthMappers Community has to offer with the rest of the Caribbean by encouraging and supporting youth throughout the region to map their communities for a better future. Caitlin is excited to embark on this journey in partnership with other ambassadors across the region and across the world.
Connect with Caitlin on Instagram, LinkedIn
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Carolina García
Based in Ecuador
Carolina is a Geographer and Environmental Engineer with vast experience in the area of environmental socioeconomics and applying methodologies for calculating environmental goods and services of Protected Areas. She has extensive experience in the management of Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing and geostatistical analysis through the use of different programming languages. Carolina is currently an active member of the GeoMap-ESPE chapter and was selected as a 2023 YouthMappers leadership fellow. She is a Geographer committed to sustainable development and climate resilience and believes that geography should be a means of communication for all, a transversal axis in the development of projects of all kinds. Her goal as an ambassador is to empower young people to be positive agents of change and to know that small actions bring about big changes; it is time to leave the world in better conditions than how we found it.
Connect with Carolina on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Johan Sebastian Agudelo
Based in Colombia
Johan Sebastian Agudelo is an enthusiastic student of Environmental Management at the University of Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia. Among his interests are the use of Geographic Information Systems and humanitarian mapping to address socio-environmental challenges and support disaster risk management. In addition, He is passionate about community participation and the use of free software and open data. As an active member of YouthMappers since 2021, he has worked collaboratively in the development and coordination of activities, providing training in the use of open service mapping tools and GIS in his chapter called GeoLab.
He had the amazing opportunity to participate in the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit. During this event, he was lucky enough to meet wonderful and talented people with exceptional leadership skills in their communities, from whom he learned a lot. His goal is to continue exploring innovative solutions and working together with communities to achieve effective and resilient territorial management.
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Juan Ángel Barajas Alzúa
Based in Mexico
Juan is finishing his last semester of a Bachelor's in Social-territorial Studies at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City, and is currently collaborating with the IUCN’s Learning for Governance network. Through his interdisciplinary approach and proficiency in GIS, Juan has gained extensive experience collaborating with NGOs and performing several socio-environmental research projects. In addition, he worked as a project manager for almost three years, operating closely with startups and impact investing. Juan has participated with the YouthMappers network for two years, being part of the Leadership Fellows 2023 cohort and vice-president of his chapter, UAMaps, where he facilitated workshops on various topics, including Web Maps, Participatory Mapping, and Open Source Geospatial Platforms for more than 90 students and CSOs members. Juan's professional and academic experience in different fields corresponds to his interest in fostering strong governance networks and “gathering all voices" through an empathetic, inclusive, and even intersectional approach where stakeholders can collaborate effectively to address global and local challenges.
Connect with Juan on Instagram, LinkedIn
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Maya Lovo
Based in Mexico
Maya grew up in El Salvador and graduated from the Metropolitan Autonomous University (México City) with a bachelors in Socio Territorial Studies. There, she co-founded UAMaps, the second YouthMappers chapter in Mexico. Since joining the network in 2021, she has co-facilitated workshops for community members, students, and government entities. As a chapter member and regional ambassador, she has worked on projects, such as mapping places that support women who face violence and identifying infrastructure in volcanic areas of El Salvador. Maya also has experience as a research assistant in projects related to urban mobility, housing trends, and environmental assessments. She has coordinated activities with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and local organizations in Central America on LGBTTIQ+ rights, capacity building through GIS, and gender and migration. She is interested in promoting open-data usage in Latin America, implementing community-based approaches, and improving disaster response and preparedness in the region. Maya believes that the technical tools needed to achieve these goals, as well as the local knowledge of context and territory, are fundamental and equally important.
Connect with Maya on Twitter, LinkedIn
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Nathan Damas
Based in Brazil
Nathan is a PhD student in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the Federal University of Parana (UFPR) in Brazil. He graduated in Cartographic and Surveying Engineering at UFPR and holds a Master of Science degree in Geodesic Sciences from the same university. He is a professional with extensive experience in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, Geoprocessing, Photogrammetry, and Remote Sensing. He has worked on projects utilizing LIDAR/UAV technology, involving data processing, classification, editing, georeferencing, and the generation of final products (DEM/DTM). Nathan got involved with the OpenStreetMap community in 2019 when he was one of the founding members of his YouthMappers chapter, the Mapeadores Livres UFPR. His interests include urban planning, sustainable mobility, collaborative mapping, and humanitarian mapping.
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ASIA
Feye Andal
Based in the Philippines
Feye Andal is a geospatial analyst and proponent of open data. She holds a Master's degree in Geography from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a Bachelor's degree in Geography from the same institution. Feye applies her love of technology and geography to make a long-lasting, positive societal impact. As an engaged volunteer, Feye provides valuable assistance to OSM Philippines, where she co-founded a local chapter of YouthMappers, UP Resilience Institute YouthMappers. Through this initiative, Feye fosters a vibrant community of young mappers and supports them using geospatial data and open-source tools.
Moreover, Feye is actively involved with GeoLadies PH, advancing the knowledge of gender inclusion in geospatial studies. On top of that, Feye serves as a Regional Ambassador of YouthMappers, helping young people tap into the potential of mapping and open-source tools. In addition to her skill set in geography, she is proficient in coding with Python, allowing her to craft novel solutions. Her dedication to teaching and mentoring brings her joy as she imparts her expertise to youth, motivating them to explore the possibilities of utilizing open mapping to re-shaping our world.
Connect on Twitter; Connect with Feye
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Mst. Amena Rashid
Based in Bangladesh
Driven by her enthusiasm, energy, and ambition, Amena continuously strives to explore new avenues, embrace challenges, and expand her knowledge. Currently an undergraduate student of Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering, Amena balances her academic responsibilities with her unwavering curiosity and research-oriented mindset. With a purposeful mindset and a desire to make a positive impact, her passion for conducting research and writing about topics that pique her interest remains steadfast. Her unwavering dedication to personal growth and development extends beyond her intellectual pursuits. She is an active participant and organizer of various events, always seeking opportunities to engage with her community and contribute to meaningful causes. Her excellent social and communication skills enable her to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration. Amena is a proactive member of YouthMappers since 2021 and emerged as a dedicated leader within her university chapter as the current Joint Secretary. Her exceptional commitment and contributions led to her selection for the YouthMappers Leadership Fellowship in 2023. Understanding the immense value of OpenStreetMap (OSM), she proudly serves as a Regional Ambassador, further empowering and enhancing the impact of mapping initiatives.
Connect with Amena on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
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Nishan Kumar Aryal
Based in Nepal
Nishan Kumar Aryal is a tech enthusiast with experience in disaster risk reduction (DRR), disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies, vulnerability and risk mapping, raising awareness and mapping for public good, data collection, analysis and visualization, community leadership, participatory community-based hazard risk mapping, and engaging tech community along with local community development work. He has been leading the Institute of Crisis Management Studies YouthMappers Chapter as president since 2021 and was selected as a 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellow. Mr. Aryal is a FOSS advocate in Nepal involved with different community organizations aspiring to continue working in areas of DRR, risk and vulnerability mapping, and data driven decision support system. He was awarded with Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award for his technical contributions in the areas of Microsoft Azure platform and also has been actively involved in OPEN Source Community since 2011. He has been supporting Open Community spread at University and College levels since his involvement in FOSS Nepal from 2012. He has been closely working with the Open-Source Community. He has also been selected for the International Training Program – Disaster Risk Management Cohort 5 from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA MSB).
Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Connect with Nishan
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Sajeevini Sivajothy
Based in Sri Lanka
Sajeevini is from Badulla District and recently completed her undergraduate studies at Eastern University in Sri Lanka. She intends to pursue a M. SC. in GeoInformatics and Remote Sensing. She was selected to participate in the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Summit and received a monthly mapper award in February issued by UN Mappers. Currently, she instructs new students on OSM and is an active member of OSM Hackfest Sri Lanka. She continues to support Eastern University's YouthMappers chapter’s efforts to promote OpenStreetMap. She particularly enjoys mapping since it allows her to see the entire planet. Her top priority as a regional ambassador is to spread awareness of OSM throughout Sri Lanka and boost the participation of women because many women are turning away from pursuing degrees in technology and I want to encourage and increase the number of women in geo informatics. She is ready and looking forward to working with all new mappers.
Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Sawan Shariar
Based in Bangladesh
Sawan Shariar is currently working as deputy coordinator & validation lead of Bangladesh Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Operational Team; known to all as Team BHOOT, as well as deputy volunteer coordinators for OpenStreetMap Bangladesh Foundation. He is one of the voting members of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and a member of OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF). He has been involved with OSM activities for over 6 years, which starts with the Data4Action project initiated by American Red Cross in 2015. He was the founding president of YouthMapper Dhaka College Chapter. He has been very instrumental in community & volunteer coordination for OpenStreetMap Bangladesh Community. He is currently listed as the top contributor on MissingMaps Global Leaderboard. He is one of the champions of the 2019 Global YouthMappers Challenge and one of the visiting fellows of HOT Summit and SotM 2019 in Heidelberg, Germany. He was the administrative associate and volunteer coordinator of SotM Asia 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Since the very early stage, He has been involved in strengthening local capacity and supporting mapping initiatives. In the journey with OSM, He has developed expertise in community engagement, team coordination, project management, remote sensing, field data collection, and local volunteer organization. He has conducted around 50 OSM training and facilitated youth engagement in several educational institutes, local communities, NGOs, and The Bangladesh Red Cross/Crescent Society. He believes, with proper support & Guidance the local enthusiastic OSM communities have the capacity to catalyze the development and growth of OSM around the world.
Connect with Sawan on Twitter