The most important OpenStreetMap (OSM) event in Latin America is coming to Medellín this September—and we want to make sure some of Trufi and OSM’s most inspiring contributors are there to be celebrated.
The Duitama Mapping Stars are a group of skilled and dedicated high school students from the Salesian School of Duitama, Colombia, who have contributed transport mapping data to Trufi projects all around the world.
State of the Map LATAM is the region’s premier event for the global OSM community—where mappers, developers, NGOs, and governments come together to exchange knowledge, form partnerships, and explore how open mapping is solving real-world problems.
Their edits and mapping efforts have powered our open source apps and improved the mobility experience for countless people from East Africa to Southeast Asia to Latin America, and of course in their home country of Colombia. Through their mapping efforts, they’ve helped create data which enables thousands of people to navigate their cities more efficiently using public transport.
Their impact? We reckon it rivals that of any other contributor attending this year’s State of the Map LATAM 2025.
Local Heroes, Global Stars
The Duitama Mapping Stars have made exceptional contributions to OpenStreetMap (OSM), especially in mapping informal and popular transport networks—one of the most difficult and impactful kinds of mapping. Their work has enabled cities to plan better, commuters to move easier, and innovation to thrive through open data.
They’ve mapped public transport in cities including Toluca, Oaxaca, Zamora, and Uruapan (Mexico); Cochabamba (Bolivia); Arequipa and Trujillo (Peru); Nairobi and other parts of Kenya; and of course, Duitama (Colombia).
With SotM LATAM 2025 in Medellín—less than 500 km from their hometown of Duitama, these young mappers have a rare opportunity: to meet fellow contributors face to face, share their stories, learn new skills, and be recognized for the incredible work they’ve done. For the students, attending SotM LATAM is not just a trip—it’s a unique opportunity to connect with a global movement they’re actively shaping.
We’re Raising Funds To Help Them Get There
While Trufi President Christoph Hanser and Leonardo Gutierrez, their mentor and mapping leader, are already planning to attend, the students themselves still need support to cover their travel and accommodations.
This is where you come in.
Your donation—no matter the size—will help us make this dream possible for these students. And more than that, it supports Trufi’s ongoing mission to make mobility more accessible, more sustainable, and more community-driven in cities everywhere.
Donate Today To Support the Next Generation of Mapping Stars
Let’s help them get to Medellín—and let the whole OSM world see what local dedication and open collaboration can achieve.
You can also Sponsor Trufi Association as an individual or company