Humanitarian organisations needs accurate maps to help them act fast and efficiently in crisis situations. That is why in 2014 Doctors without Borders and the Red Cross joined forces and launched the Missing Maps project, together with the OpenStreetMap Foundation. Across the globe the project attracts volunteers to map out parts of the world where the likelihood of natural disasters, epidemics or conflicts is highest.
This time we will focus on Sierra Leone, one of the nations with the highest child and mother mortality in the world. The health care system, which already wasn’t performing well, was further weakened by the ebola epidemic, that cost a lot of medical personnel their lives. In the Kenema district the numbers are downright dramatic: 224 out of 1000 babies die before their first birthday.
In June Doctors without Borders want to set u a project in Kenema to reduce the illness and mortality numbers in mothers and their young children. The project supports the medical activities of the government and will run for four years in the isolated areas of Gorama Mende and Wandor. Detailed maps are extremely important for a project like this to succeed.
During the Mapathon we will provide every participant with a computer with internet access and that is all you need to go to work as a mapper.
Where: Brussels, Ghent, Leuven, Liege, Namur, Mons and Louvain-la-Neuve
When: Saturday March 25th 2017 from 10:00 to 17:00
Register herer: http://nationalmapathon.eventbrite.com
More information:
National Committee for Geography: http://ncgeografie.be/nl/cartoGIS/mapathon.php
Missing Maps: http://www.missingmaps.org/
Program*:
10:00 - 10:10: Introduction
10.10 - 10.20: Explanation of the Sierra Leone project (Sebastian Spencer, Artsen Zonder Grenzen)
10.20 - 10.45: Training session cartography
10:45 - 12:00: Map away!
12:00 - 12:10: Presentation Humanitarian Open Street Map Team (Jorieke Vyncke)
12:30 - 13:00: Lunch
13:00 - 16:40 : Map away!
16:40 - 17:00: Closing session and presentation of the day’s results (Joost Schouppe, OpenStreetMap)
(*) Tentative program, for the latest information: http://nationalmapathon.eventbrite.com
Post Twitter:
Support @AZGbelgie & @RedCross during the interuniversity #Mapathon on 25/03 and create your own map!
Post Facebook:
If you like cartography and want to contribute to a better world for everyone, then make sure to join us at the interuniversity mapathon on March 25th. By helping us create detailed maps of remote regions, you support the humanitarian work of Doctors without Borders and the Red Cross!