From a casual interest in maps to fully diving into the depths of community mapping and data validation, that is how I can describe my OpenStreetMap journey up to this point.

Programs conducted by the YouthMappers Network, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, and the Open Mapping Hub Asia Pacific taught me everything I know in the field of open mapping. These programs continuously introduced me to the wonders of the geospatial field, from the creation of maps to real-world applications of open spatial data; and they consistently piqued my interest, driving me to learn even more. When the opportunity came to be one of OMHAP’s Open Mapping Gurus, I was ecstatic. It was a chance to learn from the best and most experienced people in the field and an opportunity to help the community—the core value of being an open mapper.

Being open to new learning experiences was the best attitude I had when I started my OM Guru journey. I had basic knowledge of what I was doing, but I wanted to discover more, to dive deeper into the strategies, approaches, and styles that expert OSM contributors use. I chose the Validation Track fellowship because this was the skill I wanted to develop further. I wanted to learn more about the technicalities of data checking in OSM to ensure that the data is reliable and always of a high standard. Many tools for data checking and validation were new to me, such as OSM Inspector, Osmose, and OSMCha, and I greatly enjoyed these tools as they were more convenient depending on different use cases. My validation skill in the tasking manager using JOSM was honed as well with the tasks assigned. This experience taught me things that can only be learned through extensive practice such as shortcuts, the ability to easily identify features from a certain imagery, and other methods to make mapping and validating large datasets more efficient. Each task I completed helped me become a better mapper.

Aside from building my own capacity, each task we completed was also a contribution to the OSM community. These tasks were not only for our learning but also served as real-life applications that could help anyone in the OSM community.

Through this experience, I have come to greatly appreciate the work and dedication of the OSM validators, as it is not an easy task to ensure that all OSM data is maintained to a high standard.

Admittedly, there were times when I struggled to balance my volunteer work as an OM Guru with my other responsibilities. However, managing my workload was also one of the valuable lessons I learned in this program—to follow through on the commitments I made. I am very thankful to the managers of the OM Guru program for their understanding and consideration of any problems the Gurus encountered.

With everything I have learned and my strong interest in advocating open mapping, I am starting to build my career around this field, connecting my academic background to this passion. Not only am I doing what I enjoy, but I am also helping the community in the best way I know how.