The ict@innovation programme would like to inform all ict@innovation trainers that we have opportunities for support to attend the Idlelo5 Conference in Abuja which will be taking place between 19^th and 23^rd March 2012.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Its been a very hot entry into 2012, from Kampala, and the heat could not have been multiplied by the excitement that comes with knowing Africa's premier FOSS gathering - IDLELO - is round the corner.
Its a great time, as my last experience ushered me into the world of Linux and FOSS on the continent, paving the way for what has now become my life and bread - Linux Systems Administration, Training, and Advocacy.

The Africa FOSS Business Innovation Award – honoring Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) business development in Africa

Do you want to showcase your award-winning FOSS solution and business model to a continental audience of tech-experts and potential customers in March 2012?

Then make sure to apply for the “Africa FOSS Business Innovation Award – honoring Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) business development in Africa” by 28th February 2012.

The participants of the first "Training of Trainers on African FOSS Business Models" in West Africa (Abuja/Nigeria) have passed their final exam. They are now implementing "national roll-out plans" for follow-up trainings in Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo and Senegal.

Which local needs have to be addressed? Which market niches are there? How can the follow-up trainings be financed? These are the questions the 24 new trainers are now addressing.
 

I was invited to present a 30 minutes talk on African FOSS Business models from Librarians from over 15 African Universities and several other institutions (see attached presentation)

An interesting finding to this group was the level of awareness to Open Source Solutions available in the area of Integrated Library System. ( Do not tell them) I had to change the presentation several time to try avoiding abusing them by teaching what FLOSS is :-) after attending several pre-sessions prior to my presentation.

The Collaborative Creativity Group CCG at UNU-MERIT has just released an updated version v1.5 of their book on ‘The Why and How of Open Education’(http://www.scribd.com/doc/71348644). This updated version includes – inter alia – a new chapter focusing on the Key Challenges of Open Education (Chapter 5).

EIFL FOSS Training Conference, 4-5 November 2011 COSTECH, Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania

Sponsored by UNESCO
Theme : Working together -  FOSS in African libraries

On 24th October 2011, the first West African FOSS Business Model took off. About 20 enthusiastic participants registered for the training. The venue for the training is the resource centre in the Ministry of Education Office. After a highly engaging e-learning session it was great for participants to finally meet face-face. Participants are drawn from several west African countries.

Location

The first ict@innovation West African FOSS Business Models Training of Trainers course will take place in Abuja, Nigeria from 24th October to 4th November 2011.

For details on the training, please see:

http://www.ict-innovation.fossfa.net/call-nigeria

and the programme brochure.

As ict@innovation successfully implemented Trainings of Trainers (ToT) on African FOSS Business Models in different Eastern and Southern Africa countries, we are now going to implement such trainings in the Region of West Africa.

The first West African ToT will consist of a full-time face-to-face phase of two weeks in Nigeria from 24th October to 4th November 2011, and be accompanied by 4 weeks of part-time online training (10th to 21st October and 7th to 18th November 2011).