Bonn/Dakar, 21 March 2008

InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany is partnering with "The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa" (FOSSFA) on a new training and networking programme called "ict@innovation". Both partners signed an according Letter of Intent at the third African Conference on FOSS and the Digital Commons – Idlelo 3. The pan-African gathering took place in Dakar, Senegal from 16 – 20 March 2008. Idlelo's theme of "Making the Knowledge Economy Work for Africa “attracted several hundred experts and delegates from African IT associations, IT Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), IT training institutions, as well as from government, public sector and civil society from all over Africa.

The new joint initiative "ict@innovation" is aimed at building capacities in innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) through Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Southern and East Africa. The focus is on FOSS as a key technology to drive innovation, add local value and foster development-oriented and affordable ICT applications. ict@innovation will work on business models, certification schemes and local applications for African ICT-SME sectors and the development of related training programmes. The programme is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). More information is available here: ict@innovation

At Idlelo 3, InWEnt and FOSSFA showcased a wealth of promising ways "how to make money with FOSS in Africa" through presentations and discussion rounds at the two conference tracks "Business models and community development“ and on "Human capacities, capabilities and competencies“. All material is available at http://fossfa.net (online soon)

Interested partners are invited to join the initiative, particularly FOSS entrepreneurs, trainers and other actors dealing with FOSS-based services for the development of African knowledge economies.
See also a form on expression of interest online here.


Contact: Petra Hagemann
Email: petra.hagemann[at]inwent.org