Home this dashain? Here is how you can help : OSM

Nepal मा one of the main problems is that we do not have enough map data. Maps are really freakin important because they give out necessary information required for development, planning, disaster preparedness and rescue/relief operations. One of the conclusions after the devastating earthquake of 2015 in Nepal was that we had not enough map data.

Although much efforts have been carried out and many places in the valley have already been mapped, there is a lot of work that needs to be done when in comes to rural Nepal's mapping status. This is where you come in. :) If you are out of the valley and elsewhere, probably the lands you are in are uncharted and are invisible in the map. Hence you can contribute to the map by tracing it down.

Why OpenStreetMap?

Geographical data (geo data) is not free in many parts of the world. Generally these places have given the task of mapping to various government agencies who in return get to make money by selling the data back to you and me. If you live in one of these countries, then you pay taxes for the mapping and then you have to pay again to get a copy of it. The government of Nepal has maps that are as old and 19 years of age, and they still charge for public to use it. :D

Ready to contribute.. let's roll!!

1. Take a look at the map at http://www.openstreetmap.org/. So many things might be missing.. there may not be the street you or on.. or even there may not be anything where you are.. (that's the case with most rural Nepal.. its like a barren land when seen on maps.. blank empty canvas) anyways.. that's why we are here! :)

2. Now the exciting part create an account and start editing!

Mobile OpenStreetMap

Now to the point of why I actually wrote this post. :)

I think that you can help using your phone and these apps here are here to help you contribute. Click on the name of the app to get to the respective google play store and download the app. If you are an apple user or windows phone user and want to contribute, do let me know.

1. OSM Contributor Mapping Tool

OSM Contributor Mapping Tool is an OpenSource Android Application to use anywhere by contributors, and during Mapping parties. The application is either configurable for a dedicated region, and specific Data Types (useful for Mapping Parties), or globally.

The app allows each contributor to add/edit the OpenStreetMap database.

It also allows beginners to participate in an easy way, thanks to its user-friendly material interface.

Their job is to reduce the entry cost of OpenStreetMap and make it simpler!

2. Vespucci

This is the first ever OpenStreetMap editor for android. Vespucci is an advanced tool for editing OpenStreetMap data, it is not a map viewer or a navigation app. You will need an OpenStreetMap account to use it .

You can download the map data for a specific area and edit the map. After editing, you can upload it directly to the OSM servers.

Any accidental change can be undone and all changes are listed for review before upload. Tag-autocompletion, JOSM compatible presets, links to the translated map-features pages and even autocompleting nearby street names help to find the right tags to use.

3. OSMTracker 

OSMTracker  allows you to track your journeys, mark waypoints with tags, voice record, and photos.

GPS traces can then be exported in GPX format for later use with OpenStreetMap tools like JOSM, or uploaded directly to OpenStreetMap.

Tracks can be displayed over an OpenStreetMap background or with no background if you don't have a data plan.

Hope to see you around in the OSM world, do contribute the data from and of your locality, because if you won't nobody will.. and honestly.. no one else can. :)

How I helped my local community club reach more people

Last winter we were all grouped up and formed a youth club.. we were very excited to come together and work for the benefit of the community.. for the greater good. We held gatherings and meetings, came up with the official rules and regulations for the club and named it "चेतनशील युवा समूह" that's nepali for "Conscious Youth Group" no sooner we were organized, decided on our logo and elected our very first working committee, we were invited by a local finance company to organize a blood donation program on the occasion of their annual meeting.

The time was really low and it was crucial that we meet the minimum criteria of 50 pints of blood collection, as the team from Nepal Red Cross were really busy and they had to cancel a reservation for us. We were obliged to find atleast fifty donors for them, but as ours was a residential area and also in an almost remote part of the town.. it was going to be a daunting task for us to surmount that much. None the less, we ventured out to accomplish our mission.

Me discussing with a club member regarding designs for community newsletter.

I designed the Identity cards for volunteers and also got ready for publicizing on social media platforms. I made posters to be put up around the community and also for sharing on the social network. Due to leveraging contacts and social network skills, we reached unprecedented number of people. We received really good feedback and praise, with promise to attend our program.

Poster for the blood donation program

Flex board that was printed and displayed on the entrance

Cover page design for facebook

The day of the program was much eventful. We gathered up and set up the place, tents chairs and mats were placed. Some volunteers went and got juice, fruits, biscuits and water. We were now waiting for the Recross to come. They came sharply at the agreed time, some donors were already there so the donation started. We began to grow anxious as the number of people grew thinner.. but as soon as the clock hit twelve.. the crowd began pouring in.
We were overwhelmed by the staggering number of people that rushed in. It turns out that they were having their lunch so were late, the donation campaign went really well. We were able to do so much, we also collected information, like phone numbers which has helped us disseminate information more easily now with SMS.

We also launched a community newsletter which I help design, layout and am in the editorial team. I will write about that in my coming blog posts. :)
The club's blog which I help manage can be accessed here. Thier facebook page can be found here.

A resolution for 2015 : update the blog regularly!!

Okay! here goes the very first post of 2015 on my blog. I used to write once.. infact I did churn up a few good articles at times that I myself do find reading sometimes.. but then I stopped. Just grew lazy or what I do not dare say, but I did stop. Much has happened since and I find myself literally at loss trying to recall them vividly, I just can recollect a few faint details.

Recently, I have been reading a book called The diary of a wimpy kid. It is a good read, the sketches alongside the texts are really intriguing. They provide a greater insight into the writer's mind and the situation he is referring to in the book. I must say, the book is my main source of inspiration to take back writing.

There are other things too.. mostly I strongly believe that writing can help sharpen thinking. When we write we arrange words into sensible sentences, that is if our ideas can not be brought up to be a garland of words making sense, it is not that great an idea! :D if that makes sense to you.

I have started to sense that I am getting somewhat dull.. must be due to the decline in writing endeavours.

I left college a while ago and my mathematics teachers did not really fancy my essays on calculus.

Anyways.. you will be hearing more often from me.. I really thank you for coming up here and reading this, I would be more happy if you could kindly leave your comments below, also if you let me know what you would like me to talk about,  I would be just as glad to write about it in the upcoming posts. :)

Here.. a photo with my computer.. taken a while ago.. but I basically look the same..