The Ramani Huria community mapping project started in June 2017 and spanned over two years, during which hundreds of students were trained in using open and accessible mapping methodologies. The final report was delivered in December 2019 by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team.

The project was finalized through community shareback sessions, where the maps and atlases that were produced under the project were shared with (sub)ward offices in the 44 wards.

In December 2019, the Ramani Huria team conducted sharebacks, which are organized meetings to share with community leaders and members all data collected by Ramani Huria to be used by first responders to flooding at the community level.

The shareback process involved community and local leaders who had the opportunity to be trained on map reading, identifying affected areas on the map, and possible uses of maps for their benefit.

Communities were also trained in how to access the maps online and how to update information on the map by using the mobile application, Maps.me. 49 wards and 253 subwards received maps and training; A total of 278 individuals participated (41% female, 59% male).

Based on a survey taken after the sharebacks, 91% of community members found them to be useful.

During the shareback sessions, community members provided insights and comments on the maps, including additional information that they thought would be beneficial to their community. The team then cleaned the data based on community feedback such as names, flooding zones, and new assets on the grounds.

In total, 250 maps were cleaned and reproduced through the shareback sessions. After the shareback sessions, attendees shared their thoughts about the process and the project in general. The following are some of the quotes from community members and leaders:

“To me, the map is like a mirror. I can see my subward clearly and all services available.” – Peter Kika mjumbe Magomeni

“These maps will help in solving land disputes and speed up the economic development by writing proposals – maps being the evidence of the problem.” – Johnson, Ada Estate, Kinondoni

Ramani Huria website: https://ramanihuria.org/en/