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[ Thanks to Wire Lunghabo James for this article. ]

It's January 1997, and cuddled in a dingy bar within the precincts of Wandegeya's (a Kampala city suburb) famous "Bermuda Triangle," each one hugging his favorite beer, Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) enthusiasts are busy chatting away the day's experiences. This used to be the daily routine for the dozen or so pioneer Ugandan FOSS practitioners.

So passionate would the meetings be that at the end of each session, a spiritual renewal would be felt by all present--only this time it wouldn't the Holy Spirit but the FOSS Spirit. On one occasion, the gathering narrowly survived a bomb grenade that was hurled in the neighborhood.

Today, FOSS has made decent inroads into the educational, government, and corporate sectors of the Ugandan economy. Talking about Linux no longer elicits the "I don't know what you are saying" attitude. In most cases, you are usually faced with well-prepared scripts of why FOSS is not yet ready for use; a sign that knowledge about it is growing.

From February 25-27 2005, the East African Centre for Open Source Software (EACOSS) in conjunction with the Uganda Institute of Communication Technology and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) ran the first-ever Open Source Software Weekend in Uganda.

The event had a power-packed programme structured well enough to cater for all the categories of people in society.

The weekend kicked off on Friday the 25th of February with a well-attended half-day manager's workshop on FOSS. Many of the decision makers present were simply amazed at what FOSS currently has to offer and subsequently revised their "Linux is like DOS" attitudes. During the same workshop, SchoolNet Uganda, a local NGO that spreads ICT use in schools won the first-ever award to recognise FOSS integration initiatives in Uganda. This award shall be given out annually with an aim of advancing FOSS in the country.

Friday afternoon had a workshop aimed at techies. So packed was the venue that extra seating space had to be obtained. Presenters came from all IT circles and there was a good representation of the pioneer and young-blood FOSS enthusiasts. Interesting though, was the high number of FOSS newcomers that made it for this session. They seemed to possess a thirst that only FOSS knowledge could quench.

Saturday was devoted to training sessions for both the end users and technical personnel. By mid-morning, all training classes had been booked beyond capacity. This further created a challenge due to the low number of available instructors to meet the needs of the army of trainees that had turned up. The ratio of students per PC was 3:1 despite locking out others. Attendees were so overwhelmed by the knowledge gained that they expressed willingness to take on the training courses offered by EACOSS.

Sunday, a day that I respect for being a God-preserved day, came along in style with another overwhelming turn out of people who wanted their personal computers and laptops installed with Linux. Students and techies dominated the day and the training was interactive through a hands-on approach; questions and answers; plus open debates. CDs with FOSS packages that had been prepared beforehand sold like hotcakes on this last day.

The close of the event that had been planned for 6 p.m. Sunday evening took place at 8 p.m. due to pressure from the enthusiastic public.

What a sunny weekend it was in the life of FOSS in Uganda. We have really come a long way.

Wire Lunghabo James
Lunghabo@linuxsolutions.co.ug

Related Stories:
iTnews: Wanted: Volunteers to Translate Linux Documentation(Jan 28, 2005)
The Hindu: Let Us Salute the Linux Localisers(Nov 11, 2004)
LinuxPlanet: Ugandan Mozilla Highlights Power of OSS Translation(Sep 13, 2004)
allAfrica: Software Experts Establish Regional Centre(Jun 23, 2004)

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