The YouthMappers chapter at the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology recently held a mapathon focused on mapping Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

The event, which took place on the 7th of March in Geo 2-3 of the Geography Building, aimed to contribute valuable geospatial data to improve accessibility data in the city and contribute valuable information for future development initiatives.

Thanks to a grant and support from the Open Mapping Hub - Eastern and Southern Africa #Spatial People Award , refreshments were provided to attendees, many of whom were new mappers, and a significant portion were female participants.

Utilizing tools like iD Editor and JOSM, participants actively contributed to mapping buildings in Kinshasa. For many students, this event served as their first introduction to mapathons, and the potential impact geospatial data holds in areas like disaster relief and community development.

Building on this success, the department's YouthMappers chapter plans to organize future Mapathons inviting students from across the university to collaborate on mapping uncharted areas. This data collection effort holds significant value for various humanitarian and disaster relief projects.

- Mulisa Mudau