Facts: Community mapping

We can buy maps from newsagents or book shops. It's not quite so easy for people living in places where WaterAid works, and the "maps" might not be quite the same either, as Amina explains...

Community mapping in Uganda.

Drawing maps helps people show what they feel is important about where they live, the facilities they have, and their health. This is how it works:

Community mapping focuses on things like roads, houses, clinics, schools and places of worship (like churches) that are within a community.

The people build a map of what the area looks like to them - using sticks, stones, leaves and chalk.

Interestingly, women often highlight different features (like water sources and clinics) to men, who may be more interested in the location of roads and fields.

The finished map is used to help plan where to put new handpumps and toilet blocks.

Community mapping in India. Body mapping starts with a group of people being asked to draw the outline of a human body on the ground using chalk, sometimes by using a real person to trace around! The group then have a go at saying which diseases affect which parts of the body, marking them on the "body" as they go. This shows how much the people know about different illnesses, and what kind of illnesses they are mainly affected by. It is a fun way to encourage people to talk about their health, and how improving water, sanitation and hygiene can make a big difference. It's also something everyone can take part in, whether it's drawing, writing or discussing ideas.