OpenStreetMap Zanzibar

OpenStreetMap is a free and collaboratively editable map of the whole world, similar to Wikipedia.

Our first goal is to map Zanzibar, in the footsteps of our fellow Austrian mappers, which did a great job mapping Uagadugu (Burkina Faso). There is no accurate satellite photo, so we are taking photos of every corner of Zanzibar and mapping them with the GPS. Using OpenStreetMap is a great way to advocate for open and collaborative platforms. It also helps to contribute on issues regarding citizen participation, decentralization, and data distribution and sharing, strengthening the capacities of data users and producers in developing counties.

We see a accurate map of a country as a public good for the citizens.

It is being recommended that when an International Development Organization needs the most current data, they should look at OpenStreet Map. The Development Seed and this post from Aid Worker Daily make comparisons between various online mapping tools.

Mapping technology such as OpenStreetMap can provide useful information in several ways. Aid Workers need relevant mapping information to provide aid relief and administer humanitarian assistance. Farmers in can go online to see climate, soil, and fertilizer recommendations for their farms, as well as market locations and road linkages. This improves agricultural productivity and food security. It also assists travelers and the tourism industry. So a reliable map can help to stimulate the private sector and be a great help for the public sector.

Since we are trying to follow a grass roots approach, our members just do some initial mapping while evolving our Curriculum right now applied within our Zanzibits Support Project. We teach the citizens/students how to map and then also how to access this data within the ICT applications they will develop in the near future. For teaching young and non-technical citizens, we introduce the topic in playful way: a game called Geocaching, a treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers.