OSM Awards 2025

Currently working with GeoTE Tanzania as a GIS and Open Mapping Manager. I actively train students from various universities across Tanzania through Field Practical Training (FPT) programs organized in collaboration with university partners. In addition, I support the development of YouthMappers chapters nationwide by facilitating both in-person training sessions and online mapathons or events. I also participate regularly in the monthly OpenStreetMap (OSM) Africa mapathons, contributing to open mapping initiatives across the continent.
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Prativa Thapa is a passionate mapper and community builder who has significantly expanded the OSM community in Nepal. As the founder and first president of the Kathmandu University YouthMappers Chapter, she led impactful initiatives such as GES Mapping Week 2025, mobilizing students from diverse backgrounds to map for humanitarian and environmental causes. Starting alone as a self-taught mapper, she transformed her curiosity into a movement uniting students and building awareness of OSM’s power for social good. Prativa’s influence extends beyond Nepal; she actively participates in African-led projects, such as the Nigeria mapping initiative and Tanzanian virtual mapathons. Her inclusive leadership, cross-border collaborations, and commitment to empowering women and youth through mapping have helped build a more resilient and connected OSM community. Prativa continues to inspire others to lead from where they are, proving that meaningful change begins with a single step and a shared map.
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The Latin American OpenStreetMap community has been working on various issues and has several community achievements to show:
- It has organized two successful SotM Latam events after a five-year hiatus.
- It has begun organizing SotM events by country, as is the case in Brazil and Argentina.
- It has revitalized the topic of Notes in OSM, organizing notathons and resolving years-old notes. It has also reviewed their relevance and improved their usage procedures.
- It has reactivated inactive communities OSM communities in countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Guatemala, and others.
-National communities such as those of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador have mobilized on the occasion of national mapathons in disaster risk prevention, with critical young leadership.

https://www.osmlatam.org/equipo-osmlatam/
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He created a new version of the "Meet Your Mappers tool" that lets you discover active mappers around you.
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Jannie Fleur Oraño has been a driving force in growing the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community in the Philippines, particularly in Southern Leyte. Her passion for open mapping is evident in her work with both academic institutions and local government units (LGUs), where she has made OSM more accessible and widely used.

One of her most impactful efforts was leading the “Building Resilience through Open Mapping Tools” project. In this initiative, Jannie took the lead in organizing and delivering training sessions for LGU staff. She introduced participants to the basics of OSM and guided them on how to use it effectively in Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP). Her hands-on approach helped local communities map their own areas using local knowledge, strengthening disaster preparedness and planning efforts.

Aside from her work with LGUs, Jannie also invests in mentoring students and fellow advocates. She consistently promotes the use of open geospatial data as a powerful tool for sustainable development. Her dedication has encouraged more people across various sectors, to get involved with OSM and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Through her teaching, and community engagement, Jannie Fleur Oraño continues to expand the OSM network and inspire others to take part in open mapping. Her work exemplifies inclusive and community-centered growth in the open mapping movement.

Jannie Fleur Oraño has been a driving force in growing the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community in the Philippines, particularly in Southern Leyte. Her passion for open mapping is evident in her work with both academic institutions and local government units (LGUs), where she has made OSM more accessible and widely used.

One of her most impactful efforts was leading the “Building Resilience through Open Mapping Tools” project. In this initiative, Jannie took the lead in organizing and delivering training sessions for LGU staff. She introduced participants to the basics of OSM and guided them on how to use it effectively in Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP). Her hands-on approach helped local communities map their own areas using local knowledge, strengthening disaster preparedness and planning efforts.

Aside from her work with LGUs, Jannie also invests in mentoring students and fellow advocates. She consistently promotes the use of open geospatial data as a powerful tool for sustainable development. Her dedication has encouraged more people across various sectors, to get involved with OSM and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Through her teaching, and community engagement, Jannie Fleur Oraño continues to expand the OSM network and inspire others to take part in open mapping. Her work exemplifies inclusive and community-centered growth in the open mapping movement.
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The Southern Leyte State U YouthMappers is a standout example of a youth-led organization that has meaningfully expanded the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community—not only geographically, but also by fostering diversity, engaging government stakeholders, and contributing to humanitarian efforts. As the first organization in Asia funded by the EU Green Diplomacy Week for their flagship initiative, “Map for Climate,” the chapter mobilized over 120 mappers to contribute open geospatial data on climate-vulnerable areas, strengthening both youth participation and environmental advocacy. They actively bridged the gap between academia and government by training municipal personnel through their award-winning project “Building Resilience through Open Mapping Tools,” introducing OSM to local government planning for CDRA and CLUP. They have extended their reach across sectors, collaborating with humanitarian platforms like HOTOSM in response to the 2025 Myanmar earthquake, and regularly working with national mapping networks such as Mapakalamidad.ph to promote inclusivity and civic technology. Through these efforts, the chapter has significantly expanded the OSM community in the Philippines by empowering underrepresented voices, engaging decision-makers, and anchoring mapping as a tool for resilience, inclusion, and progress.
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Jannie Fleur Oraño is a passionate open mapping advocate from the Philippines who has significantly contributed to promoting OpenStreetMap (OSM) among local government units and academic communities in Southern Leyte and even beyond. She played a leading role in the “Building Resilience through Open Mapping Tools” project, where she personally conducted training sessions for LGU personnel—introducing them to OSM and demonstrating its practical use in Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP). Through her leadership, local stakeholders were empowered to map their own communities using firsthand knowledge, enabling more effective planning and disaster preparedness. Beyond this initiative, Jannie has actively mentored students and colleagues, advocating the value of open geospatial data for sustainable development. Her efforts continue to influence OSM adoption across sectors, making her a strong example of community-centered leadership in open mapping.
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Sawan is one of the top mappers/contributors in OSM from Bangladesh. But his track record in contributing to community development, especially promoting & advocating OSM to the youth/students in the South Asia region, is phenomenal. He has been serving as a regional ambassador and technical focal point for YouthMappers, with a country focus in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka, and Myanmar. In last 05 years he has introduced new YouthMappers chapters in more than 20 educational institutes throughout the region, while mentoring more than a dozen others. He has conducted and facilitated more than 100 training sessions/workshops/mapathons, coordinated national & regional events like the YouthMappers Bangladesh Summit 2023 & 2024, the State of the Map Asia & State of the Map Bangladesh 2019 & 2024, and facilitated a couple of dozen other external trainings on OSM organized by multiple organizations, groups & institutes. Overall, he has been one of the key activists & influencers of OSM in youth & academia in the region and has become a role model example to the OSM youth both in the region & the globe.
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Contrapunctus has started conducting monthly mapping parties since around January 2024. Through this they have built a strong community in Delhi. Now they are shifting their focus to Mumbai, so that older members of OSM Delhi can instead take over the responsibility of Delhi parties.
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As the Community Manager for Asia at HOT, he has done outstanding work in expanding the reach of the Open Mapping Hub and advancing the Open Mapping Guru initiative.
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