Episode 223: OSCA 2023 with Mannie William Young on the Python community in Ghana & PyCon Africa

Guest

Mannie William Young

Panelist

Richard Littauer

Show Notes

In this episode, host Richard invites guest Mannie Young from Ghana’s Python community to share his experiences in open source development. Mannie discusses his role as the Executive Director of the Python Software Community in Ghana and his involvement in organizing PyCon Africa. He provides insights into the significant growth of the Python community in Ghana and the various initiatives under it. He also discusses the Nigerian open source community’s vibrancy, the Python community’s development in Ghana, and reflects on his experiences at OSCA and Sustain events. Mannie touches on cultural differences affecting community sustainability and funding opportunities, and he shares insights on how to get involved with PyCon Africa and Python Ghana, highlighting the new PyClubs initiative. Hit download now to hear more!

[00:00:59] Mannie mentions his active contribution to the Python software community and his roles as the Executive Director of Python Ghana and organizer of PyCon Africa.

[00:02:02] Mannie discusses his experience at OSCA Fest 2023, insights from the Sustain Session, as well as Importance of Documentation in Open Source

[00:06:14] Mannie explains the growth of the Python community in Ghana and its various initiatives, like PyLadies Ghana and PyData Ghana.

[00:07:11] There’s a discussion about OSCA’s event in Lagos and the Sustain event. Although Mannie was not part of the organizing team this year, he shares some highlights from OSCA including great talks, diversity, and a welcoming environment. He also tells us about the Sustain workshops he attended, focusing on design and community.

[00:10:04] The conversation shifts to compare the open source communities in Ghana and Nigeria, with an emphasis on social media presence and advocacy.

[00:11:36] Mannie discusses the impact of being reserved on funding and opportunities in the Ghanaian open source community, along with the cultural differences affecting sustainability.

[00:012:30] Richard and Mannie address a recent issue with DjangoCon and the PSF regarding discrepancies in approaches to funding and community support, along with cultural and legal considerations in Africa.

[00:15:33] Richard inquires about how people can get involved with PyCon Africa, PyCon Ghana, and Mannie’s communities. Mannie explains that preparations for PyCon Africa 2024 are underway and provides contact emails and websites.

[00:17:08] Find out where you can follow Mannie and his blog on the web.

Quotes

[00:11:08] “If you don’t blog about things, no one knows what you were doing.”

Links

• SustainOSS
• SustainOSS Twitter
• SustainOSS Discourse
• podcast@sustainoss.org
• SustainOSS Mastodon
• Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute)
• Richard Littauer Mastodon
• Mannie Young Website
• Mannie Young LinkedIn
• An Open Letter to the Python Software Foundation (Python Africa)
• PyCon Ghana
• PyClubs
• PyLadies Ghana
• PyData Ghana
• OSCAfrica

Credits

• Produced by Richard Littauer
• Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound
• Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound

Special Guest: Mannie William Young.

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