Fostering the Creation of the Julia Community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, hosted a meetup on September 7, 2023, where several dozen people gathered to exchange knowledge and learn about the fundamentals and history of Julia programming language, as well as to code using this programming language and its advantages. The objective of this meetup is to promote and revitalize the Julia community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to engage a large number of individuals and create a highly active community.

Narcisse Mbunzama presenting a session during Julia Meet up on September 7, 2023 in Kinshasa

The workshop allowed around ten participants, including students from the University of Kinshasa, the National Pedagogical University, and the Catholic University of Congo, as well as other programming enthusiasts from Kinshasa, to come together and learn how to code in Julia. The meetup provided an opportunity for Julia developers to acquire knowledge and skills related to Julia programming, which is a significant advantage. They had the opportunity to not only expand their knowledge and skills in Julia but also to contribute to the growing programming landscape in the DRC. Such initiatives are crucial for promoting technological advancement and innovation within the country.
This gathering was made possible thanks to the generous financial support from the Julia community in the USA. Invitations were extended to students from local universities in Kinshasa, and various computer clubs across the city. Despite its modest scale, the event generated significant enthusiasm, with numerous individuals expressing their eagerness to participate. However, due to constraints related to timing, budget, and planning, only a limited number of participants could be accommodated.

           Participants in the meetup learning how to code with Julia

The organizing team ensured that participants faced minimal logistical challenges by covering transportation expenses, deskopt at venue rental, sound equipment, and providing refreshments during the meeting. The meeting was skillfully led by Narcisse Mbunzama, a seasoned computer scientist who is also a dedicated member of both the Digital Security Group and the Developer Association in the DRC. His substantial experience in computer programming, coupled with his active efforts to promote the Julia community within the Democratic Republic of Congo, were instrumental in making the event a success.

In addition to fostering local Julia expertise, the meetup underscored the importance of establishing and maintaining strong connections with global Julia communities. By doing so, participants can tap into a vast network of resources, knowledge, and collaborative opportunities, ultimately contributing to the growth and enrichment of the Julia programming landscape both locally and globally.

Participants in Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017 in South Africa

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017

Sunnyside Park Hotel, located on Princess of Wales Terrace & Carse O’Gowrie Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa were the venue of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017. 

The forum on internet freedom in Africa brought together activists, media experts, techies, jurists and others to discuss issues related to internet freedom in Africa. From September 27-29, 2017 in a series of conferences-debats and workshops, participants had the opportunity to discuss on different themes related to the issue of freedom of the internet in africa.

With a grant from the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), I had the opportunity  to participate in the forum and to speak during the Forum on the way to enhance privacy and digital security of journalists and activists working in high risks environment such as the democratic republic of Congo.

Participants to the workshop learnt different tools such as Ipeace Project App, a mobile application that allows journalists to report in safe and secure manner.  

They also learnt how to enhance their digital security, how to overcome online censorship, digital attacks and how they can use innovative USB keys and other secured tools using Elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC) to share their data and communication in safe and secure manner on internet.

During the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017, I have acquire new skills and knoweldge that will help me improve my daily work on internet freedom in Africa and I will also transfer these skills and knowledge to other people and organization in democratic republic of Congo interested by the internet freedom and related issues.

Finally, the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017 has been a unique occasion to meet new friends and old friends. I had the opportunity to meet a friend  such as Gbenga Sesan from Nigeria with whom we met for the first time in 2001 in Midrand, Johannesburg during the Youth Telecom 2001 Fellowship programme organized by the International Telecommunication Union.  I also meet Boubacar Diop, an IT expert from Senegal whom we meet in Cotonou, Benin in 2003 during the Fete de l'internet en Africa.

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2017 were a successfully event. 

Celebration of Open Data Day in the Democratic republic of Congo

Transparency and Accountability in the management of DRC’s Extractive Sector: the role of Open Data

The Open Data Initiative of the Democratic Republic of Congo joined the world to celebrate its first ever Open Data Day on 4th March in Kinshasa.

In a conference style, the event brought together more than 50 participants with varying backgrounds who are interested in open data and the impact it can have on the development of the democratic republic of Congo. The participants who came to the event included representatives from government, Parliamentarians, researchers from universities, students, entrepreneurs ,innovators, etc.  

DRCongo Open Data initiative team welcome participants in the March 4,2017 Open data day in Kinshasa

The event centered on discussions on how open data can contribute to achieving  the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 in the DRC.

There was also discussions on  how open data can contribute to enhancing transparency and accountability in the extractive industries in the democratic republic of Congo. For example, the discussion on Open Data and the Extractive sector focused on the availability and state of data  on revenue from mining, petroleum, etc. as well as the amount of tax extractive companies pay to the government and how the money is spent, etc.

Participants  at Open Data Day in  democratic republic of Congo, March 4, 2017

The event was led by 15 speakers at various sessions of the conference who made visual and oral presentations on open data to help participants understand open data and how open data can contribute to the development of the democratic republic of Congo. Through questions and responses, participants have built skills and knowledge on open data. Several participants commented on the Open Data Day in the democratic republic of Congo.

Mr Mayambo, a  student at the University of Kinshasa said that this day allowed him to have a good understanding of open data and how open data is important to enhance accountability and transparency in different  fields of activities, especially in extractive industries areas.

The Open Data Initiative team received several recommendations from the participants and plans to call on the DRC government with those recommendations so as to promote open data in the country.   Thanks to the grant from OKFN and HIVOS, the Open Data Day celebrated on March 4, 2017 in the democratic republic of Congo  was successful and helped to promote the importance of open data. Our analysis has led us to conclude that many people in the democratic republic of congo do not yet know the open data and their importance. Therefore, we will work to strengthen the promotion of open data through a strong marketing campaigns on TV, radio,news papers, face-to-face campaigns, social media such as Facebook pages, youtube, twitter and improve our participation in major conferences on IT and data at national level, particularly in the provinces. The DRCongo Open Data Initiative has decided to organize the next Open Data Day on March 4, 2018 in Lubumbashi.