State of the Map 2024, Nairobi-Kenya: An Unforgettable Experience!

Wow! SotM 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya!!! I couldn’t contain my excitement when I received an email confirming that I’d been granted a full scholarship to attend the event. It was my first time attending the global State of the Map conference, and the thrill of meeting so many people from diverse backgrounds and regions was overwhelming. I even screamed when I read the news—why not? I was about to meet in person people I had only ever interacted with online, and the feeling was indescribable.

The first thing I did was reach out to my fellow OSMers, who I consider family, to confirm who else was attending. The joy from those who affirmed they’d be there was palpable. We kept in touch, discussing our preparations for the big day. Butterflies fluttered in our stomachs as excitement built. We knew exactly when everyone would arrive in Kenya.

Arrival in Nairobi

Finally, the day arrived. Those who arrived early eagerly waited for the rest of us to join. When I landed at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, I felt incredibly special—someone was there to pick me up, which made the experience even more memorable. The excitement only grew when I reached the hostel and found my sister, Letwin, already there. I immediately called her, and the moment we met was filled with joyful screams—it was our first time meeting in person! Meanwhile, big sister Arnalie had already arrived, though I wasn’t sure where she was. Papa Africa (Geoffrey), as we affectionately named him during the conference, surprised us by letting her show up that morning without telling us in advance. The hugs, loud cheers, and jumping that followed—I’m sure even the ground felt our excitement and shared in our joy! 

Pre-event Mapathon at ESA

The day before the conference, we gathered for a welcoming mapping party at the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) hub in Nairobi. It was a perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues, many of whom I was meeting in person for the first time. The joy in the room was contagious.

Day 1 – Hosting My First Sessions

Day 1 was a whirlwind of joy and excitement. As a scholarship recipient, I had the chance to volunteer at the conference and was assigned to host two sessions in the Maasai Mara Hall, the largest hall at the venue. Despite being nervous—this was my first SotM Global and my first time hosting at a conference—the sight of Hawa and Geofrey who believed in my abilities, helped me overcome my anxiety, and I managed to pull it off beautifully, with the help of my co-host, Justine, who was also doing it for the first time. While I’ve hosted online events, the in-person experience was significantly different, with the added pressure of a live audience watching and listening attentively. The experience was a testament to the power of belief and the thrill of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

The first session was by Pragya Pant and Rabina Poudyal, who spoke about the spectrum of OSM, highlighting how OSM empowers individuals and fosters resilience and sustainable development. The second session, led by Taylor Reich, discussed sustainable transport and tools like ITDP’s Atlas of Sustainable City Transport and Trufi’s GTFS-Builder, which transforms OSM data into useful indicators for city policy.

After hosting, I attended a fascinating session on community capacity building in OSM Kenya by Walter Mayeku and Mary Muthee. They emphasized how leadership structures impact the growth or stagnation of communities.

How did I feel after hosting those sessions? You know that feeling when you accomplish something for the first time, and the “big names” in the field give you a thumbs-up? That’s exactly how I felt—my heart swelled with pride!

The evening wrapped up with a social event, where I connected with more people and explored potential collaborations.

Day 2 – Attending and Presenting

Day 2 was all about attending sessions. Some of the highlights were:

• Mapping Kenya: 15 Years of Map Kibera and Beyond by Joshua Ogure
• OSM Wiki Editing Workshop by Mateusz Konieczny
• OSMF Board: What They Are Doing an insightful session on the foundation’s work

I also gave a lightning talk on the ongoing HOT mentorship program, which Yves currently leads, following in the footsteps of Angela Teyvi, who started it.

The highlight of the day? A social event at Bao Box! It was an epic night filled with games like tennis, golf, and karaoke—my favorite! The night culminated with the Humanitarian Open Mapping Awards. If I could relive that night, I would—it was pure magic, and we even ended up forming a “dancing working group”!

Day 3 – More Hosting and Lightning Talks

The final day of the conference was bittersweet. While we wished it could go on forever, everything must come to an end. There were so many sessions that I wished I could multiply myself to attend them all. I hosted a few more sessions and even gave a lightning talk about a survey I conducted in March 2023 on women’s participation in OSM. You can read more about that here. And oh, I had my poster on the walllllllls. The photo below was a proud mentor, mentee sister, friend moment. Thank you Big Sissy Arnalie for helping me shine my light. :)

The closing ceremony was a special moment as we learned the location for SotM 2025—Manila, Philippines! The excitement in the room was palpable, and outside the main hall, cameras clicked as everyone captured their final moments in Nairobi. There were teary eyes, long hugs, handshakes that lingered, and laughter that will echo in my ears for a long time. It was hard to say goodbye.

One of the most touching moments for me was opening a gift from my mentor, Arnalie—a book with a handwritten note inside. That “aww” moment will stay with me forever.

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None of this would have been possible without the scholarship from HOT Open Summit Grant. A huge thank you to HOT and everyone who made this unforgettable experience possible!

Have a sneak peak of some of the photos. Next time I want to see you , yes you reading :)

ASANTE SANA OSM KENYA!!!