Msilikale Msilanga profile picture
Msilikale
Msilanga
Senior Researcher, Geography
Resilience Academy, GeoICT4e, KADI (Knowledge and climate services from an African observation and Data research Infrastructure)

Contact

Vesilinnantie 5
20500
Turku

Biography

I have worked in various organizations across Finland and Tanzania since 2011, with a focus on community mapping tools and techniques, Community engagement and participation, digital tools for data collection and management, satellite imagery, and geospatial data processing. My experiences include working with institutions such as the University of Turku, Action Aid, Ecosystems on Land Consult, and The World Bank Group. 

In my work with the World Bank, I led the establishment of the Ramani Huria Initiative (https://ramanihuria.org/en/), a program that aimed to design, train, and manage community mapping campaigns in Dar es Salaam from July 2017 until August 2019. I played a key role in creating an impact on over 1000+ youth who received training in open-data for Urban Exposure, providing them with skills and experience in generating up-to-date open data related to urban resilience through developing multilayer maps among many other skills. In my role as a project lead, I oversaw the Ramani Huria initiative, which included coordinating desk reviews of existing geospatial data with stakeholders, establishing community mapping teams, and monitoring data quality. As a leader, I also developed flood inundation scenarios, facilitated knowledge transfer and training for community mapping teams, students, and local communities, primarily serving as a mentor to my team members.

I also played an active role in community mapping and open-data projects, whereby I was responsible for collecting and transforming data through field visits and community mapping. I have shared my knowledge and experience with tools and methodologies, working closely with government stakeholders in Tanzania's Open Data Program to support potential applications and demonstrators using open data. Additionally, I have supervised a young team of open data fellows, providing mentorship to younger team members and setting goals and objectives in line with the broader project strategy. My numerous accomplishments demonstrate my leadership skills, dedication, and expertise in community mapping projects and open-data initiatives. I have been instrumental in coordinating community activities, participating in numerous Charrettes, and providing advice during data collection that positively impacted local communities.

As a researcher at the University of Turku in Finland, I have been managing projects that are within the cooperation between Tanzanian and Finnish universities, creating a favorable environment for youth to acquire skills and practical experience for their future employability. I served as a project manager on behalf of five Tanzanian universities, successfully delivering the Tanzania Resilience Academy program (RA) more info can be accessed here (https://resilienceacademy.ac.tz/). In the RA project, I provided daily support for the Mass Internship Program, spearheaded e-learning materials development, conducted research, and aided in the creation of geospatial Climate Risk Databases (CRD) - (https://geonode.resilienceacademy.ac.tz/) for Tanzanian universities and other university partners in Africa and Europe.