GeoConnect Awarded Grant for Transformative OSM Project in Chinhoyi, ZW

Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe — 29 May 2024. 

We are happy to announce that Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Eastern & Southern Africa (OMH-ESA) has granted an Open Mapping Grant (OMG) to GeoConnect (previously African Surveyors Connect). This grant will support our new Chinhoyi OpenStreetMapping (OSM) Project in collaboration with the Chinhoyi Municipality. This project leverages the power of OpenStreetMap (OSM), a free and collaborative online map that anyone can contribute to.  

The Chinhoyi OSM project comes at a time when data is crucial for decision-making and sustainability efforts. The current data available on the OSM platform for Chinhoyi is either outdated or insufficient for implementing such crucial efforts in the town’s development.

By enhancing OpenStreetMap data for Chinhoyi and aiding the municipality’s GIS implementation efforts, this project aims to promote community development and sustainable urban planning. 

Overview of the Chinhoyi OpenStreetMapping (OSM) project 

The goal of the Chinhoyi OSM Project is to  improve how spatial data is used and interpreted in Chinhoyi leading to sustainable urban planning. This includes identifying underserved areas and optimizing infrastructure placement during planning processes. We aim to build a more inclusive, resilient, and data-driven urban environment by concentrating on four main areas. 

Enhancing the Quality and Accessibility of Data 

Our main objective is to tackle the existing problem of old and insufficient spatial data. resilience of communities and efficient urban planning depend on accurate and easily available data. We will give the Chinhoyi Municipality a solid basis on which to make decisions that are beneficial to all citizens by improving the quality of OSM data through remote mapping and validation coupled with some field work on the ground around the area.

Creating a Path for Ecological Urban Design 

The Chinhoyi Municipality GIS and Planning office will greatly benefit from our effort. The municipality can put into practice longer-term, more successful urban planning initiatives with updated spatial data. Better infrastructure development, more effective public service delivery, and a more planned pattern of urban growth will result from this. 

Developing Youth’s Skills and Capabilities 

Giving the youth of Chinhoyi skills and ownership of the data contributed towards OSM is an essential part of our project. To help young people develop their mapping and GIS skills, we will hold training sessions and workshops. This increases their employability and produces a pool of qualified workers who can support and manage urban data systems going forward. 

A Participatory Approach Based in the Community 

We believe in a participatory approach in which the community is engaged in the activities. The voices of the people living in Chinhoyi are guaranteed to be heard and included thanks to our participatory mapping method. We make sure that the data gathered is thorough and representative of the actual needs and realities on the ground by involving local people in the mapping process. 

Outlook into the Future  

Through this Open Mapping Grant, GeoConnect believes this is a first step in setting the pace for urban planning and development and we look forward to expanding such great efforts to other cities and towns across the country.  The project’s success will be measured by the amount of data improved, number of communities mapped and recognized, the number of youth trained and the level of community participation throughout the project. 

As GeoConnect, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Eastern & Southern Africa (OMH-ESA) for their generous support and belief in our vision.  

This grant is a testament to our project’s importance and an invaluable resource that will help us achieve our goals. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with OMH-ESA and look forward to making a significant impact in Chinhoyi together. 

We look forward to embarking on this journey with the Chinhoyi Municipality and the local community. Together, we can create a more accurate, inclusive, and resilient Chinhoyi. Stay tuned for updates as we progress with this exciting project.  

About the ESA-Hub
The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Eastern & Southern Africa [OMH-ESA] is a regional collaboration led by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team [HOT], a Non-Governmental organization that sits at the forefront of participatory mapping, community-led development, humanitarian response, open data, and open technology. Our mission is to advocate for and actively facilitate the creation, utilization, and widespread dissemination of high-quality open map data communities across 20+ countries in Eastern & Southern Africa. Find out more here.