FOSSFA links up with European hub

The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), is set to link up with the European hub of open source cum Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub located in Berlin.

This comes as top executives and staff across of FOSSFA embark on intercontinental working tour.

Leader of the FOSSFA team on working tour and council chairman, Ms. Nnenna Nwakanma, said they would be on the longest out-of-the continent working trip to Berlin, Europe’s Open Source hub.

“The Foundation’s executives and staff from the Western, Eastern and Southern Africa shall be touring Berlin and its environs for one full week,” she said.

According to her, the FOSSFA team, among other activities shall be working with The Technology Foundation Berlin, which supports selected technology sectors mainly through networking.

Noting that as the Berlin centre of innovation it brings science and Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) together for innovation on the Open Source Business Foundation, has its members cut across companies, institutions and persons inspired by open source software.

Nwakanma also said that the highpoint of the visit will be Linux Tag, which is about Europe’s oldest Linux Tradefair, which normally registers 12,000 attendees. Other organizations and events scheduled include Open Berlin, The Open Source Business School, LiSOG, newthinking, Linux Association, LXDE, and Linux Verband.

Parallel to these, she said, is FOSSFA and Inwent - Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH is dedicated to ICT@INNOVATION.

The joint project serves the need of Open Source SMEs in Africa, even as the team shall also join the Linux Professionals Institute (LPI) in the celebration of their 10th anniversary.

Nwakanma further said the mission will be marked as a monument in time within FOSSFA.

“It is my firm belief that we shall build ties that shall spread across Africa, Europe and beyond, to the global open source community. The study tour represents an opportunity for Africa to learn, exchange, showcase and engage at the highest levels of open source innovation and industry,” she said.

Over the past two months the teams in Berlin, Bonn, Accra, Kampala and Johannesburg, she said, have been building up steam towards this mission and expectations are running very high, excitements are almost overwhelming, and the passion for this open source “package” can best be described as ‘feverish’.

ICT@INNOVATION International Coordinator, Andrea Goetzke and Geraldine de Bastion, Tour Lead, said they are looking forward to the tour and to welcome their colleagues from Africa to Berlin.

“Not only the LinuxTag but a number of exciting FOSS events are taking place this week - so if you are working with FOSS and would like to make new contacts and widen your network Berlin is the place to be,” they said.

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