It’s really a difficult task penning down experiences that even I could not express physically, but all the same I will walk you through the mapping horizons – my journey through the incredible State of the Map Nairobi.

State of the Map (SotM) Nairobi wasn’t just a conference; it was a homecoming. This year, the first-ever Afrikan-hosted, global SotM, buzzed with the energy of passionate mappers from across the globe.

“Who did you say you wanted to share the room with?”

“Have you booked your airport pickup, using Little Cab?”

“I don’t want my Letwin to get lost in Nairobi :D”

“The eagle has landed 🔥”

“Are you in Nairobi now?”

We keep it at that so curiosity kills the cat….

State of the Map is a gathering of all open map enthusiasts – mappers, geospatial people, professionals, organizations, individuals etc. It is the annual, international conference of OpenStreetMap, organized by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. It brings together people from different parts of the world to share experiences, knowledge and network around the same. It is always something I look up to every year – at least it has become therapeutical to attend at least one State of the Map a year. While some familiar faces were missed (looking at you, Pete, Dana, Lorenzo, Charles, Petya, Luca, Feye, Hans!), the incredible OpenStreetMap family ensured not a single moment felt lonely. This family is so wonderful that you keep meeting more and more wonderful people, and you don’t want to miss them too. State of the Map Nairobi provided such an atmosphere that I wish we could extend the conference.

My journey started with some check-ups from my favorite person, the same who welcomed me with a surprise that nearly broke my legs; Geoffrey. I took off with Priscovia to Nairobi through Malawi. I had to wait for Ilya at the airport, couldn’t wait for the next day. From the moment I landed, the air crackled with anticipation. SotM is a reunion unlike any other, a chance to connect with fellow mappers, both old friends and new. Priscovia and I, the early birds, eagerly welcomed arrivals, and soon, our hotel room transformed into a heartwarming reunion hub. On arriving, we missed one special queen at the airport (Arnalie) and the next morning Geoff brought her to our hotel as a surprise. I can’t honestly explain the incident in words, all I can say is there was a marathon – surprise arrivals orchestrating marathon hugs (thanks, Geoff!). Pete once mentioned this incident needs to be filmed; I believe Geoff did that. Another sis had arrived early that morning and we hugged through a 500m distance to our shared room (Benedicta).

I was happy to finally meet the amazing Walter Simuyu Mayeku, Allan Mbabani, Innocent Maholi, Jorieke, Sarah Hoffmann; reconnecting with Ilya, Geoff, Erick, Kingsley, Anisa, Laura,Hawa, Armor, Johannes, Abdoul rekindled the mapping spirit. I would also like to mention how excited I was to meet one other amazing soul I was really looking forward to: Sam Colchester! I’d say he is a darling. Sam is really patient, and kind and I had been wishing to meet him in person ever since I started knowing him and Nairobi made that happen. He is actually more amazing in person; proving the internet truly underestimates some people’s awesomeness! He introduced me to the master of AI Omran among many other people. I was glad to meet Sarah Wise who was just coming from Zimbabwe and is wise as her name says, the Geospatial stars rocking Tanzania Antidius Kawamala and Ezekiel Edgar Kiairiro. The best events organizer rocking West Africa, I call him the star French translator of HOT Yves Emmanuel. Another super queen Marianna Mukulunga and the stylish HOT Voting Members Chair Muluba. My super YouthMappers team – Dennis Kasozi, Nigo Tabuson, the amazing queen Priscillah Kapolo shaking the whole of Malawi with her sister queens, Joseph Munyenze Kathukya, Victor Ademoyero, Bukola Iris, Maya, Mary Muthee – super cartographer, and soon-to-be-married Binyam, brought an infectious energy to the event. I can write a magazine.

I wasn’t just attending; I was contributing! I had 2 presentations; 1 lighting talk where I talked about Ladies in Maps Zimbabwe, a non-profit I founded to support women and address female related data gaps in open mapping in Zimbabwe; an Academic paper with Kingsley titled Analyzing the Spatial Distribution of Fuel Stations in Harare, Zimbabwe: Leveraging OpenStreetMap for Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Recovery sparked valuable conversations. Hosting the afternoon sessions in the Maasai Mara room was an honor, especially following the captivating “On the Ground” duo. Some sessions that stood out for me include:

Mapping Kenya: 15 Years of Map Kibera and beyond Joshua Ogure, Erica Hagen

Preparing for disasters with open map data and tools - learning through anticipatory action in Zimbabwe, Liberia and Timor Leste Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), Wilson Munyaradzi

Meet the OSMF Working Groups Sarah Hoffmann

Go Out And Map Ilya Zverev

OSMF Board AMA Sarah Hoffmann, Mateusz Konieczny, Craig Allan, Daniela Waltersdorfer Jimenez, OSMF board, Arnalie Vicario, Guillaume Rischard, Roland Olbricht

Local Knowledge Mappers by Priscovia Ng’ambi

Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Antidius Kawamala; all offered valuable insights and inspiration.

Nairobi’s energy was infectious. The conference buzzed with enthusiasm, and I’m grateful for the knowledge shared and the connections fostered. My greater gratitude goes to the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team’ UnSummit program for funding my trip to be among the in-person attendees. It was really an honor getting selected and eventually seeing the dream come true. Though my time in Nairobi was short, the city’s charm left a lasting impression. It’s also interesting to learn how Africans just switch names for a particular type of food – ugali in Kenya is sadza in Zimbabwe, nsima in Malawi, etc.

This year’s SotM may be over, but the mapping journey continues. Let’s keep the connections strong online and in person, until we meet again in Manila! Special shoutout to Arnalie and Feye, the queens who’ll be hosting – prepare for a truly unforgettable experience!