About Us
Who we are
OpenMap Development Tanzania is a registered NGO based in Dar es Salaam and operating across Tanzania. Since its establishment in 2017, OMDTZ has executed and promoted several community mapping projects, generated map awareness, actively pledged open datasets, and continued to build a network of enthusiastic mappers in Tanzania. OMDTZ heavily contributes to OpenStreetMap (OSM – https://www.openstreetmap.org/) platform, which is both a map and database of geographic data owned by contributors on OSM; anyone can view, create and use this information for free.
Our strength is built by the volunteer network, community members, and our ability to advocate the use of open-source software in different institutions i.e universities, government agencies, public and private institutions.
Our goal is to create a community that uses and develops freeware for our own social development. We involve university students, community members, and partners with different backgrounds ranging from technology, social, economy, political, and academia. We believe in creating a stronger community in Tanzania that advocates for freeware and trains different users so we can reduce dependency on proprietary software that creates a gap of technological development as many Tanzanian youths can not afford to buy licenses for proprietary programs.
We create open datasets for different courses such as disaster response for floods, waste management, etc to help decision-makers with maps to improve challenges faced by communities on the ground. OMDTZ has promoted a number of community mapping projects, generates map awareness, actively pledged open data sets, and continue to build a network of enthusiastic mappers in Tanzania.
We are involved in the success of community mapping and open geospatial data in Tanzania. We have also conducted training to government entities i.e (President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government offices- PORALG), university institutions, etc on the use of open data–which included.
OMDTZ envisions to become the center of open mapping in Tanzania and promote the use of open sources and open data in different development initiatives.
- To raise awareness on the community on mapping and maps throughout Tanzania
- To enable training and capacity building that will enable individuals and organizations to manage social economic and community challenges
- To enable the creation of opportunities for members of the community to engage in global sustainable development initiatives.
- To promote innovations from community members that will provide solutions to challenges in their communities for social and economic development
- To provide education to the community on Openstreetmap and open data.
- To empower the community on cartographic tools and skills to business, universities, government agencies and different organisations.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower youth and communities by leveraging the power of geospatial tools and open technology to solve humanitarian and development challenges in Tanzania.
Our Vision
Our vision is to leverage the power of geospatial tools and open technology to reach global development goals at the local level.
Geo-Spatial Coverage
Core areas
OMDTZ does not only collect data and submit them to donors or share them publicly, but we also conduct training capacity building to public&private sectors on tools that we use for data collection and how they can use collected data for informed decision including solving local challenges.
Develop, design, and create new innovative solutions, tools, and ways of doing things that will benefit different groups that seek innovative solutions. OMDTZ has developed a locally made bamboo drone with the aim of acquiring high-resolution aerial imagery that we use for mapping at a low cost but effective.
Collecting data using simple and practical methods by using open tools such as ODK and OMK for data collection, QGIS, Python for data cleaning, and different logarithms for quality checks, analysis and develop good thematic maps for decision making.
OMDTZ works closely with community members when collecting data, basically providing capacity to them so they can collect information in their own neighborhood or supporting data collectors by providing relevant information that would have been impossible to acquire without consulting them.
