Our Mapper of the Month for November 2025 is L Kennedy Vaiphei from India. Kennedy began mapping with UN Mappers in late 2024 and is currently pursuing M.Sc. in Applied Geography and Geoinformatics at the Central University of Karnataka. He is our top contributor for the UN Mappers x FAO Agricultural Waterways Mapping in Southern Mauritania Project 3 - he mapped around 573km of waterways and 140km² of farmland areas.
We asked Kennedy about how he started mapping and what is driving him to actively contribute to generating open geodata to support humanitarian response and peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations. Read his story below:
Tell us a bit about yourself.
First and foremost, I thank God for the continuous blessings and guidance. I would also like to express my gratitude to UN Mappers Crowdsourcing Team for this recognition and opportunity.
I am L Kennedy Vaiphei, currently pursuing my final year of M.Sc. in Applied Geography and Geoinformatics at the Central University of Karnataka, India. I come from Mualngat, a small yet beautiful countryside village, in India’s Northeastern state of Manipur.
Growing up close to nature, I developed a deep appreciation for the environment and a strong curiosity about the Earth and its processes, eventually inspiring my love for Earth Sciences. It was during my college years that I was introduced to geospatial technology and open mapping. I made my first OpenStreetMap (OSM) changeset in November 2024, adding point features for street lamps in Bengaluru using Every Door editor. Since then, mapping has become an important part of my life, combining my passion for maps with the purpose of contributing to global humanitarian and development efforts.
I am an active OSM contributor and a proud member of UN Mappers. Over the past few months, I have actively participated in several humanitarian crisis and disaster response mapping projects, including the Myanmar earthquake, Pakistan floods, and the DRC Ebola outbreak, among others. I primarily map using the iD Editor and am currently learning JOSM to enhance my mapping operations. I have a strong passion for applying geospatial technology, open data, and cartography to support disaster management, humanitarian response, community development, and decision-making. To me, mapping is more than just technical skills, it is a way to connect, learn, create, and make a positive impact.
How did you know about UN Mappers?
It was around the time I began making edits in OpenStreetMap that I first learned about UN Mappers and the UN Maps initiatives through the UN Mappers OSM Wiki page and social media platforms (Discord and LinkedIn). I have been strongly inspired by the UN Maps mission to harness the power of open geospatial data to support UN peacekeeping missions and humanitarian efforts. Since then, I have actively participated in the community and its mapping projects. Initiatives such as Mappy Hour, Validation Friday, and the UN Maps Learning Hub provide opportunities to connect with fellow mappers, access valuable resources, enhance my mapping skills, and contribute more effectively to the UN’s mapping initiatives.
You participated in the UN Mappers x FAO agricultural waterways mapping, how was your experience in mapping and contributing to this project? Are there any new learnings or experience you found interesting?
The UN Mappers × FAO agricultural waterways mapping holds a special place in my mapping journey, not only for its role in creating exhaustive, open-source data on farmlands and waterways along the Senegal River in Mauritania to support FAO projects, but also as my first large-scale, collective mapping experience with the UN Mappers. The project was both exciting and challenging, as I was new to mapping farmland and waterway features. Community discussions, online mapping sessions such as Mappy Hour and Validation Friday, guidance from experienced mappers and validators, and the OSM tagging Wiki page helped me learn from my mistakes, strengthen my understanding of OSM standards, and improve my mapping workflows.
Beyond technical skills, I also had the opportunity to explore the landscape virtually, enhancing my geographical knowledge. What stood out most was the collaborative nature of the project, seeing mappers from around the world contribute toward a shared humanitarian goal was truly inspiring.
When do you map?
I usually map during my free time, with evenings being my preferred hours and weekends when I do not have classes. I also make an effort to be available for urgent or high-priority disaster and humanitarian mapping projects whenever possible.
In which countries do you map the most?
I mostly map in African countries such as Somalia, Congo-Kinshasa, the Central African Republic, and Mauritania, where UN Mappers are actively engaged. I have also contributed to disaster response mapping in Myanmar and Pakistan through the HOT Tasking Manager. Occasionally, I map in my country India, where I am currently working on detailed mapping of my university campus. In the future, I plan to expand my mapping activities to other regions, including Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, to gain broader exposure to diverse geographies and further enhance my mapping experience.
Why do you enjoy mapping? What are your motivations?
Mapping, for me, is not just about creating or editing features on OpenStreetMap, it’s a passion, a joy, and a meaningful part of my life. It connects my love for geography, cartography, and geospatial technology with a sense of purpose, knowing that every mapped feature, whether a road, river, or building, can make a real difference. Whether it’s improving accessibility, supporting urban and regional planning, or aid relief operations in times of crisis, I find deep fulfilment in contributing to something larger than myself.
My main motivation comes from knowing that volunteer mappers play an active and vital role in supporting the humanitarian response and peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations and other international agencies that rely on geospatial data for decision-making, aid delivery, and rescue operations. Each contribution, no matter how small, has the potential to save lives, strengthen communities, and bring hope where it is most needed. Another personal motivation stems from my academic experience; in our GIS and Remote Sensing practical exercises, we frequently use OpenStreetMap data, which often leads me to ask: Why only use, and not contribute? Moreover, with limited access to proprietary datasets, OSM became not just a source of data, but a platform for empowerment, where anyone, anywhere, can help build an open, reliable map of the world.
In times when the world faces increasing conflicts, disasters, and divisions, collaborative mapping through communities like UN Mappers transcends boundaries of culture, race, gender, and nationality, uniting people through a shared vision of service and humanity.
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Would you like to collaborate with us?
We are happy to host mapping activities with the community! Feel free to contact us for collaboration proposals and invitations through social media or by email: un.mappers@un.org
Become a UN Mapper!
You can contribute to our active mapping through the HOT Tasking Manager, and learn about open geospatial information in support of the United Nations through our UN Maps Learning Hub.