Hello OpenStreetMap community,

My name is Micheal Kaluba (OSM username: Michea Kal), and I am honored to be nominated for voting membership in the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).

My journey with HOT began around 2016 through the Malaria Elimination Project and continued through my work with OpenStreetMap Uganda, where I served as a Field Mapping and GIS Training Associate for about six years. I currently serve as the Executive Director of Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda.

Over the years, I have been involved in mapping, field data collection, project management, capacity building, and community development initiatives across Uganda and South Sudan. Through collaborations with OpenStreetMap Uganda, Wikimedia Uganda, and other partners, I have contributed to humanitarian mapping projects, community training, and open data initiatives.

I have also participated in several international mapping conferences and community events, including State of the Map conferences in Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, the United States, and Kenya. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to open mapping, local leadership, and community-driven development.

To me, HOT represents the power of volunteers, communities, and organizations working together to make geographic information accessible where it is needed most. I believe in HOT’s mission and would like to contribute more actively to its governance and future direction as a voting member.

As a voting member, I hope to support inclusive decision-making, accountability, and stronger representation of communities from underrepresented regions. I also look forward to contributing to community and training initiatives within HOT.

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Well, let me share my experiences at “State of the Map 2024” in Nairobi at the University of Nairobi which I must say was like the coolest place ever for a bunch of map nerds like us to meet. As far as I can tell, it’s the place where all the folks behind OpenStreetMap, get together from all corners of the world to share their experiences, get excited about the mission of making this world more navigable with the help of our maps. It was very much like attending a large family reunion with an attempt at small talk that quickly degenerated into everyone’s passion for Open geospatial data.

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The OpenStreetMap community in Tanzania hosts an annual conference called State of the Map Tanzania that brings together mappers, software developers, and other contributors to talk about and share information about OpenStreetMap. Presentations, workshops, and discussions on a variety of mapping-related topics, such as mapping methods, data gathering, data analysis, and software development, are frequently included in the conference. Participants can network with other OpenStreetMap contributors and get knowledge on the most recent advancements in the industry.

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