In celebration of International Youth Day 2025 under the theme ‘Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships’, we would like the youth contributors in Kenya to lead a community mapping initiative focused on youth-friendly mental health services.
Mental health remains a silent emergency for young people, particularly across Africa, where rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma are steadily increasing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one in seven adolescents worldwide experiences a mental health disorder, with suicide being the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds (WHO, 2021). Despite this, many communities still lack the baseline data needed to locate services, allocate resources, or support access to care.
Kenya’s mental health system is under-resourced and heavily centralized, with only 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 people (WHO, 2020). Services are mostly urban-based, leaving rural youth with limited access. Stigma, low awareness, and poor integration into primary care further prevent young people from seeking support (UNICEF, 2021)
This invisibility is mirrored in digital spaces. Mental health and counselling centers are frequently absent from open maps and public databases, further distancing communities from critical support. In low- and middle-income countries, where infrastructure is limited and health systems fragile, this data gap carries serious consequences: young people face mental health struggles unseen and unsupported, without clear pathways to help.
In celebration of International Youth Day 2025 under the theme ‘Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships’, we would like the youth contributors in Kenya to lead a community mapping initiative focused on youth-friendly mental health services. By leveraging open mapping technology and cross-sector collaboration, this initiative highlights how youth can bridge gaps in data that hinder access to care. Young mappers will engage with community stakeholders, health service providers, and other local actors to map and validate mental health support spaces ensuring the data is accurate and accessible.
Using open mapping tools such as Maprouletle, ID Editor, JOSM and OpenStreetMap, participants will identify and map hospitals, counselling centers, and community-based providers making these services visible, searchable, and accessible to all. This initiative will contribute to more equitable planning and delivery of health services such as mental health support and build local capacity in digital mapping and allow youth to advocate for quality health services.
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Why Mental Health, Why Youth, Why Now
Youth make up a significant majority of Kenya’s population, positioning them as a crucial demographic for driving the country’s development agenda. According to UNFPA (2022), over 60% of Kenya’s population is under the age of 25. This large youth population faces intersecting challenges, including high rates of unemployment, climate-related displacement, economic hardship, and limited access to social support systems.
These pressures place many young people at increased risk of experiencing mental health challenges. Despite this, data on youth mental health remains scarce, making it difficult for policymakers and service providers to respond effectively. Targeted, data-driven planning is essential to support the mental well-being and long-term resilience of Kenya’s youth.
Despite this, mental health services are scarce and when they do exist, they are missing on the maps, and not integrated into health systems.
Young people are not only affected, they’re ready to lead. This project enables youth to use digital tools to support their own communities, while gaining mapping, advocacy, and data skills that can contribute to longer-term change.
Objectives of the campaign
- Engage 100 youth in Kenya in practical data update using open mapping tools.
- Update 200 mental health-related amenities to OpenStreetMap using open mapping tools.
- Raise awareness of youth mental health through community engagement and storytelling.
Tools and Methodology
We utilize MapRoulette as a tasking platform to identify and update hospital data with a specific focus on missing attributes related to mental health services. Contributors are guided to check and improve this data using both the iD Editor and JOSM (Java OpenStreetMap Editor).
The methodology includes:
Designing targeted MapRoulette challenges to surface health facilities lacking tags for mental health service.
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We apply OpenStreetMap (OSM) tagging standards to add or update key attributes related to mental health services.This includes tags such as;
Healthcare:speciality=mental_health,(healthcare=counselling,healthcare=psychotherapist,) and amenity=hospital. -
Where available, we include facility names, indicators of mental health service availability, and whether the services are free or fee-based (healthcare:fee=yes/no or healthcare operator type=public/private).
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Trained local contributors lead the data improvement process, working collaboratively through structured data check workflows using iD Editor and JOSM to update.
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To ensure accuracy and reliability, all contributions undergo validation by a team of local experts. This review process verifies that updates are consistent with OSM standards and reflect current, on-the-ground realities.
Why Participate?
Your insights as local contributors are invaluable. This campaign is exclusively for Kenyan residents, as your unique understanding is crucial for building high-quality data that truly supports our communities.
Key Details:
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**Click here to apply
Training for Selected Participants: August 11th
**Incentives: **The top 12 contributors will receive a lunch voucher worth $18, and all contributors will be awarded certificates of participation.