Episode 87: Celebrating 2 years of CHAOSS Africa

Jun 27, 2024

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Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSSCast!

CHAOSScast – Episode 87

In this episode of CHAOSScast, host Elizabeth Barron is joined by panelists Anita Ihuman and Ruth Ikegah, along with guests, Enock Kasaadha and Maryblessing Okolie, as they

delve into the experiences and contributions of CHAOSS Africa, a regional chapter of the CHAOSS Project. They share personal stories of how they got involved in open source, the influence of CHAOSS Africa on their careers, and the community's growth over the past two years. Discussion highlights include the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the supportive nature of the CHAOSS community, and future aspirations for CHAOSS Africa. Press download to hear much more!

[00:03:34] Ruth shares her journey into open source which began out of curiosity during her microbiology studies when she observed a friend participating in an open source project via a Google meet call.

[00:06:13] Enock describes his transition from software development to open source, highlighting the initial challenges he faced finding a welcoming community. He praises CHAOSS for their newcomer-friendly environment.

[00:07:51] Maryblessing got into open source after being introduced through a friend who participated in an Outreachy internship, she then joined CHAOSS. Initially, she observed the community to understand how her skills could contribute, and over time she became an active participant.

[00:10:24] Anita shares a similar background with Ruth, having been classmates. Her interest in open source grew as she saw peers making significant contributions to tech, which encouraged her to engage in open source, leading her to CHAOSS.

[00:13:11] The discussion switches to how CHAOSS Africa came to be. Ruth explains how she transitioned from GNOME to CHAOSS through her interactions with other open source contributors. She credits Outreachy, an internship program that CHAOSS participated in, and highlights the role of the DI (Diversity and Inclusion) audits team and the Ford Foundation in recognizing the contributions of African members.

[00:19:18] Elizabeth asks about the impact of open source and CHAOSS on their lives. Enock responds, detailing how CHAOSS acts as an incubator for learning open source contributions skills, which are transferable to other communities. He emphasizes the values of patience, trust, and appreciation cultivated within the CHAOSS community.

[00:24:10] Maryblessing emphasizes how the community has helped advance her career, particularly in managing volunteers, appreciating diversity and inclusion, and improving her decision-making processes. She highlights how CHAPSS has enabled her to engage effectively in other communities and appreciate the role of non-coding contributions in open source projects.

[00:28:12] Anita shares that CHAOSS has broadened her understanding of community health beyond resolving disputes, revealing the multifaceted nature of building a healthy community. She appreciates how her involvement in CHAOSS has allowed her to explore non-coding roles in open source.

[00:29:56] The discussion shifts to the future of CHAOSS Africa, with Ruth and Enock envisioning greater expansion across the continent. They discuss supporting local events and including more countries in their efforts.

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