OSM Awards 2025

Viji R V has made outstanding contributions to mapping for social good, with a strong focus on community empowerment and gender inclusivity. As a Data Quality Intern with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOTOSM), she collaborated with a global team to validate OpenStreetMap (OSM) data across 12 countries, significantly improving map quality for disaster response and humanitarian aid.

Her leadership was especially impactful through the Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific’s She Leads & She Inspires program, where she spearheaded the Kudumbashree Mapping – Kerala project. This initiative addressed the lack of representation of Kudumbashree—a statewide women-led poverty eradication network—on OSM. Under Viji’s direction, the locations of over 40,000 women-run micro-enterprises, such as IT units, wellness centers, cashew processing hubs, and community kitchens, were mapped and validated, giving much-needed visibility to these vital grassroots institutions.

Viji also led extensive community engagement efforts by training more than 150 new mappers (95% of them women) and involving around 2,000 college students in OSM mapathon activities across Kerala. Her fieldwork included direct OSM literacy training, on-ground validation, and close collaboration with local government bodies and the National Service Scheme (NSS), helping ensure the data remains usable and up to date for planning and public service delivery.

She played a pioneering role in formally integrating Kudumbashree as a recognized entity within OSM, introducing tagging standards and launching the #kudumbashree_mapping campaign to encourage digital civic participation. Her scalable and inclusive mapping model has become a blueprint for similar efforts in underrepresented regions.

Viji R V exemplifies the core values of the OSM movement by expanding who contributes to geospatial data and how it can be used for equitable development. Her leadership is helping reshape the geospatial landscape in South Asia by ensuring it becomes more inclusive, community-driven, and representative.

Ezekiel is an inspiring mapper leading mapping projects in Tanzania and the region. He has run daily mapping challenges, mapping every single day of the year since the start of 2024 - I don't know anything else that is greatness in mapping other than this. This has been inspiring to many, teaching us there are always more contributions to make to the project :)
(link)

He has been in the front line in most mapping challanges

Libor Bednarik is a very active humanitarian mapper and he contributes into OSM on daily basis since 2018! He motivated many new people into OSM, shared his knowledge and experience with others and I think he deserves to be more seen in the global OSM community.

According to stats on Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Tasking Manager he created over 1.3 million buildings, 6.6 thousands km of roads and 1.9 thousands km of waterways. He is always picking the most challenging types of projects on HOT TM where he excels thanks to his years long experiences.

His mapping quality is always top notch and if you think something should be mapped in a different way he is always very glad and open to discuss.
(link)

I am pleased to highly recommend Ashok Thakulla, a dedicated and influential leader in the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community and a current YouthMappers Regional Volunteer Ambassador for 2025-26. Ashok has made remarkable contributions to OSM mapping and played a significant role in expanding the YouthMappers network across the Asia Pacific region. His leadership and passion for open mapping has truly set him apart as a role model in this field.

Having worked with Ashok on numerous training courses, workshops, and seminars, both nationally and internationally, I have witnessed a consistent growth in his skills and leadership capabilities. His extraordinary mapping expertise, combined with his enthusiasm for sharing knowledge, has earned him recognition as a key figure in the OSM community. He has not only contributed to mapping projects but has also been actively involved in mentoring and training others, ensuring that the next generation of mappers is well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to disaster preparedness, urban planning, and development.

Ashok's journey in the OSM community began as a student leader with the Geomatics Engineering Society and YouthMappers Community at Kathmandu University. His early work in impactful projects, including Mapping Chepang Communities and Mapping Banepa Municipality for rooftop farming, showcased his dedication to using open mapping for local community development. Over time, he has grown into a professional who supports disaster resilience through his open mapping efforts.

Beyond his local contributions, Ashok has actively participated in global humanitarian mapping efforts, including working with HOTOSM on projects like the Pakistan Floods, Malawi Floods, and Nepal Earthquake Preparedness. His efforts have led to the mapping of large number of buildings, roads, and waterways, directly contributing to disaster response and recovery.

Ashok’s exceptional leadership, technical expertise, and dedication to empowering local communities through mapping make him an invaluable asset to the OSM community. His impact as a volunteer ambassador and his continuous efforts to spread the power of open mapping are a testament to his passion for this cause. I am confident that Ashok will continue to make a significant and lasting impact on the OSM community, and I look forward to witnessing his future achievements.
(link)

For importing every address in Victoria from the government data
(link)

Mapped all forest landcover in West Virginia, US: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/ottwiz/diary/406073
(link)

One of the few Craftmappers with quality and detailed contributions on OpenStreetMap in Ghana. He also teaches and promotes making good and quality contributions to OpenStreetMap. He has been consistent in detailed mapping of Kumasi and the Ashanti Region of Ghana ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/3330249 ) from POIs to landuse areas. Samuel is one of the few contributors that have created changesets each day for over 3 years.
(link)

As a dedicated mapper and community leader,He have made significant contributions to the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community through his mapping work and training initiatives. With a background as a Youth Empowerment, Training & Mapping Associate at Unique Mappers Network Inc. Nigeria (2020-present) and Community Project Manager at EcoMappers, OpenStreetMap Rwanda (2022-present), He has leveraged his skills to drive growth and development in the OSM community.
He has trained over hundreds of volunteers on mapping and validation, empowering them to contribute to the OSM community.
He has made close to 10 million edits, adding significant value to the OSM database.
His contributions inludes:
Mapping nearly 1 million buildings
Mapping close to 35,000 km of roads
He is a active in Mapping and Validation; He have been actively engaged in mapping and validation, completing close to 6,500 tasks and validating over 40,000 tasks.
His mapper Rank; His dedication and contributions have earned him the rank of Legendary Mapper (Mega Active), a testament to my commitment to the OSM community.
With over 7 years of experience in OSM mapping, having joined on December 5th, 2017, He has mapped for 1,309 days, consistently contributing to the growth and development of the community.
I'm confident that his contributions and achievements make him an ideal candidate for recognition in the OpenStreetMap Awards.
(link)

His active mapper , and is our community trainer and project manager. he have contributed to our community building expansion
(link)

I am consistently active in mapping and contributing data to OpenStreetMap because I strongly believe that data is everything. Without accurate and up-to-date data, we cannot effectively address the challenges our communities face. Mapping is part of my daily routine, and I actively encourage others to join the movement because every contribution counts.
More stats: https://hdyc.neis-one.org/?King%20edgar
(link)

https://hdyc.neis-one.org/?JJIglesias

Lead mapper in #Bolivia. Most prolific mapper worldwide using ID and Rapid
(link)

Viji R V has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mapping for social impact and community empowerment. As a HOTOSM Data Quality Intern, she worked with a global cohort to validate OpenStreetMap (OSM) data across 12 countries, enhancing the quality and readiness of maps for humanitarian and disaster response.

Through the Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific “She Leads & She Inspires” leadership program, she led the Kudumbashree Mapping – Kerala project, one of the most impactful gender-inclusive mapping initiatives in the region. Kudumbashree, a vast women-led poverty alleviation network in Kerala, had little to no representation on OSM. Under her leadership, the project successfully mapped and validated the locations of over 40,000 micro-enterprises run by women—including IT units, wellness centers, cashew processing facilities, and community kitchens—bringing much-needed visibility to these grassroots economic engines.

Viji trained and empowered over 150 new mappers, 95% of whom were women, and facilitated OSM mapping and a mapathon event in approximately 2,000 college students across Kerala. Her community engagement efforts included hands-on field validation, OSM literacy training, and direct collaboration with local government bodies and the National Service Scheme (NSS). These partnerships have ensured the long-term usability and updating of the OSM data for planning, development, and public service access.

She also pioneered the effort to incorporate Kudumbashree as a recognized brand within OSM, developed tagging protocols, and promoted the #kudumbashree_mapping campaign to mobilize digital participation. Her mapping model is now seen as scalable and replicable across other underserved regions.

Viji’s leadership is driving inclusive, gender-focused geospatial development in South Asia. Her work exemplifies the true spirit of OSM—transforming not only how data is created, but who gets to create it—ensuring that the platform becomes more inclusive, community-driven, and representative of those who are often left unmapped.

Viji R V has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mapping for social impact and community empowerment. As a HOTOSM Data Quality Intern, she worked with a global cohort to validate OpenStreetMap (OSM) data across 12 countries, enhancing the quality and readiness of maps for humanitarian and disaster response.

Through the Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific “She Leads & She Inspires” leadership program, she led the Kudumbashree Mapping – Kerala project, one of the most impactful gender-inclusive mapping initiatives in the region. Kudumbashree, a vast women-led poverty alleviation network in Kerala, had little to no representation on OSM. Under her leadership, the project successfully mapped and validated the locations of over 40,000 micro-enterprises run by women—including IT units, wellness centers, cashew processing facilities, and community kitchens—bringing much-needed visibility to these grassroots economic engines.

Viji trained and empowered over 150 new mappers, 95% of whom were women, and facilitated OSM mapping and a mapathon event in approximately 2,000 college students across Kerala. Her community engagement efforts included hands-on field validation, OSM literacy training, and direct collaboration with local government bodies and the National Service Scheme (NSS). These partnerships have ensured the long-term usability and updating of the OSM data for planning, development, and public service access.

She also pioneered the effort to incorporate Kudumbashree as a recognized brand within OSM, developed tagging protocols, and promoted the #kudumbashree_mapping campaign to mobilize digital participation. Her mapping model is now seen as scalable and replicable across other underserved regions.

Viji’s leadership is driving inclusive, gender-focused geospatial development in South Asia. Her work exemplifies the true spirit of OSM—transforming not only how data is created, but who gets to create it—ensuring that the platform becomes more inclusive, community-driven, and representative of those who are often left unmapped.

Viji R V has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mapping for social impact and community empowerment. As a HOTOSM Data Quality Intern, she worked with a global cohort to validate OpenStreetMap (OSM) data across 12 countries, enhancing the quality and readiness of maps for humanitarian and disaster response.

Through the Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific “She Leads & She Inspires” leadership program, she led the Kudumbashree Mapping – Kerala project, one of the most impactful gender-inclusive mapping initiatives in the region. Kudumbashree, a vast women-led poverty alleviation network in Kerala, had little to no representation on OSM. Under her leadership, the project successfully mapped and validated the locations of over 40,000 micro-enterprises run by women—including IT units, wellness centers, cashew processing facilities, and community kitchens—bringing much-needed visibility to these grassroots economic engines.

Viji trained and empowered over 150 new mappers, 95% of whom were women, and facilitated OSM mapping and a mapathon event in approximately 2,000 college students across Kerala. Her community engagement efforts included hands-on field validation, OSM literacy training, and direct collaboration with local government bodies and the National Service Scheme (NSS). These partnerships have ensured the long-term usability and updating of the OSM data for planning, development, and public service access.

She also pioneered the effort to incorporate Kudumbashree as a recognized brand within OSM, developed tagging protocols, and promoted the #kudumbashree_mapping campaign to mobilize digital participation. Her mapping model is now seen as scalable and replicable across other underserved regions.

Viji’s leadership is driving inclusive, gender-focused geospatial development in South Asia. Her work exemplifies the true spirit of OSM—transforming not only how data is created, but who gets to create it—ensuring that the platform becomes more inclusive, community-driven, and representative of those who are often left unmapped.

Not only is Russ Garret leading the development of the Open Infrastructure Map, he is also making significant contributions to grid data mapping around the world. His insights into how power infrastructure is mapped are invaluable to power grid mappers since many years.
(link)

From the early days of undergraduate studies,Samrat has been actively involved with the OpenStreetMap (OSM) Foundation. His first contribution was mapping the Chepang Village community in Makawanpur District, one of the indigenous groups in Nepal. This project was supported by a grant from the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) to the Geomatics Engineering Society (GES), a student club at the Department of Geomatics Engineering, Kathmandu University.
He regularly contributed to OSM as a volunteer, driven by a strong sense of humanitarian purpose. During his OSM journey, he also actively participated in another HOT-funded project focused on rooftop farming in Banepa Municipality, Nepal. He was one of the top contributors in this project and was recognized for his efforts.
Early in his mapping journey, he was involved in several other projects, including mapping Province 2 of Nepal (funded by international agencies) and mapping roads in Pakistan and Afghanistan—his first international mapping experience.
As an executive member of GES, he organized and led various mapathons as both an organizer and a trainer. He has also organized mapathons under OSM Guru, Asia Pacific Hub, HOT, START Network, KIRDARC, and OSM Nepal. One such project focused on mapping roads in the remote areas of Jumla, Mugu, and Kalikot.
He continues to be actively involved in the OSM community, contributing to projects, validating tasks, and conducting training sessions as an OSM Guru. To date, he has participated in multiple emergency response mapping projects for HOT, with over 2 million edits and 1,250 active mapping days.

Given his sustained dedication, extensive contributions across diverse projects, leadership in organizing and training mapathons, and consistent commitment to humanitarian mapping initiatives, I believe Samrat Acharya is an exceptionally deserving candidate for this award. His profound and continuous impact on the OpenStreetMap community, particularly in Nepal and beyond, makes him an outstanding nominee.

mapbeks_translivesmatter is a passionate OpenStreetMap contributor dedicated to amplifying the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community through inclusive mapping. Actively involved in disaster mapping activations, this mapper advocates for safe, equitable, and data-driven responses that leave no one behind.
(link)

Good mapper and leader spread the organisation former president of eastern university youth mappers team
(link)

I'm usually dropping hints all over Genoa and surroundings for things to be fixed and they are the number one fixing those – sometimes only few hours after report.
(link)

His mapping contributions in Indonesia have been truly outstanding.
(link)

For her incredible dedication to mapping solar panels
(link)