Supporting the training of new mappers in Cameroon: our first corporate sponsorship

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IVIDES DATA support the training of new mappers in Cameroon and reaffirms its commitment to expanding knowledge about OpenStreetMap to countries overseas

In the first half of 2026, IVIDES DATA® had the opportunity to act as a sponsor of the CityMapper Externship project , coordinated by Modo Levo Engelbert Steve, ambassador of the Cameroon chapter of the UN Maps Community Ambassador Initiative , a program run by the United Nations Global Service Center (UNGSC). The project focused on collaborative urban mapping and took place from April 30 to May 30, with the goal of mapping features related to urban infrastructure. The program’s strategy aligns with the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and aims to address a common need across many African countries: the systematic mapping of national territory, the generation of open data, and the training of young citizens.

Launch of the CityMapper Externship on 10 April 2026, Yaoundé Diver City Space.

“ Africa will not be built solely by well-educated young Africans who grasp opportunities. I am very enthusiastic about this program, which can generate many other ideas on how to maintain volunteer engagement in the OpenStreetMap project and, beyond simply creating data, use it to address the key issues that define development for us Africans:food for all, electricity for all, healthcare for all, water for all, and quality education grounded in our values and cultures for all. ”

– Modo Levo Elgelbert Steve

During the period covered by the first cohort of the CityMapper Cameroon project, approximately 30 young people received training, both in person and remotely, across four countries — Cameroon, Togo, Senegal, and France. Participants received training in widely used programs within the OpenStreetMap ecosystem: i) the iD and JOSM editors; ii) Overpass Turbo, an online query processor and data extractor; iii) Every Door, a mobile mapping application; and uMap, a French project that maintains an online platform for the rapid creation of web maps. Participants made ~86,100 edits on OSM, mapping ~70,630 buildings and 1,832 km of roads, POIs and contributed 1,265 images to Mapillary.

Training session in April 11, 2026, held on Yaoundé Diver City Space.

Sponsorship certificate to IVIDES DATA®

Congratulations to everyone on this important achievement! We are delighted to be part of this journey and sincerely hope you find success in the remaining phases of the program. May the seeds planted today grow into fruitful trees, revealing in each young participant a vocation for map the world!

IVIDES DATA® is a small company on information technology consulting, based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with official registration number (CNPJ): 56.127.866/0001-12. The company has provided training for young people and adults in collaborative mapping with OpenStreetMap, as well as mentoring research and development projects. We have many documents registered on Zenodo.org. Email: ivides@ivides.org. Thanks to DeepL.com (free version) which provided the auto-translation.

Our previous experience with our colleagues at OSM Africa

Two years earlier, while attending the State of the Map Africa 2024, I had the opportunity to join the OSM Africa group, a vibrant and highly diverse community with members of various ages, faiths, hometowns, languages, professional backgrounds, and worldviews… This revealed just how important mapping with OSM is for promoting the generation of open geospatial data, but also for professional integration and training, community engagement, and corporate interest in collaboration. It is a virtuous cycle that encourages personal growth and the establishment of new relationships, groups, partnerships, and research & development initiatives.

MAPA-ZCM: Collaborative map of the marine and coastal zones with OpenStreetMap and OpenSeaMap – PDF Link – JPG Link – Project Link

HUB YouthMappers Rio de Janeiro: Teaching OpenStreetMap through university extension projects in Brazil – PDF Link – JPG Link

Importante note: IVIDES.org® e IVIDES DATA® are trademarks. OpenStreetMap® is a trademark.

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