Welcome to the Open Day Preparation page. Following the Open Source Zambia meeting of 17 Jan 2007, we have created this page to track the progress of events that will lead to the presentation of 4 Installfests this year. The first being on or around 30th March. This day is sifnificant in that it marks the first OSZ meeting held at Computer Village -- we therefore like to make this day Zambia's Software Freedom Day.

If anyone would like to participate in the organizing of this event, please feel free. Just send an email to the mailing list, osz-list@mailhost.opensource.org.zm . Please note that you must be a member to send to this list.

Kasenga

• The Events

March 30 - Software Freedom Day

Zambia Software Freedom Day Purpose: To create a day in Zambia that will signal Zambia’s recognition of software freedom, open source software, and self expression. Objective: The Zambia Software Freedom Day will promote GNU, GNU/Linux, the existence of such and eventual adoption of such. That said, this first of these events will be held in March 2007. Ideas for the preceding. The event will be a week long event with ads in the press, radio and tv. This will create awareness for the event. What the Zambia Software Freedom Day is and stands for as well as the venue(s) for the event. A theme for the year will be selected, and this theme will be emphasized throughout the year. For the first year, it is only fitting that the theme be along the lines of creating awareness. For example, We can pick a charitable organization, a school, an orphanage and donate, through well-wishers, 5 to 10 Linux boxes running off of a LAN and possible connected to the internet. During the course of the course of the week, we can train some people (staff) who will be running the network, as well as the users [or some of the users] on how to use the system. This will include basic word processing and spreadsheet design (OpenOffice) to basic software development [web, i.e. apache and Content Management Systems, CMS] to database creation and management, i.e., mysql. After a week, the said equipment can be officially handed over to the institution by a government official, say the Minister of Transport and Communication, or the Minister of Science and Technology, or both. Over the months, either the staff or users of the institution can/may attend the OSZ meetings to learn more or they visit our website, should they have any questions. Keep in mind that all this is tentative seeing that we may not be able to get a donor for the pcs, or get a government official to officiate the event, or that we may not get any airtime or space in the press. If you have any contacts, please feel free to step forward.

June

September

December