OpenMap Development Tanzania (OMDTZ)

OpenMap Development Tanzania is a registered NGO based in Dar es Salaam and operating across Tanzania. Since its establishment in 2017, OMDTZ has executed and promoted several community mapping projects, generated map awareness, actively pledged open datasets, and continued to build a network of enthusiastic mappers in Tanzania. OMDTZ heavily contributes to OpenStreetMap (OSM – https://www.openstreetmap.org/) platform, which is both a map and database of geographic data owned by contributors on OSM; anyone can view, create and use this information for free. Our strength is built by the volunteer network, community members, and our ability to advocate the use of open-source software in different institutions i.e universities, government agencies, public and private institutions. Our goal is to create a community that uses and develops freeware for our own social development. We involve university students, community members, and partners with different backgrounds ranging from technology, social, economy, political, and academia. We believe in creating a stronger community in Tanzania that advocates for freeware and trains different users so we can reduce dependency on proprietary software that creates a gap of technological development as many Tanzanian youths can not afford to buy licenses for proprietary programs. We create open datasets for different courses such as disaster response for floods, waste management, etc to help decision-makers with maps to improve challenges faced by communities on the ground. OMDTZ has promoted a number of community mapping projects, generates map awareness, actively pledged open data sets, and continue to build a network of enthusiastic mappers in Tanzania. We are involved in the success of community mapping and open geospatial data in Tanzania. We have also conducted training to government entities i.e (President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government offices- PORALG), university institutions, etc on the use