Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa

Type:	Non-profit
Industry:	Internet
Founded:	2002
Headquarters:	Accra
Country:	Ghana
Website:	www.fossfa.net
Key People
Nnenna Nwakanma, Council Chair Katim S. Touray, Council Vice-chair Samer Azmy, General Secretary Milton Aineruhanga, Treasurer George Gary Nyambuya, ICT & Innovation Project Coordinator Evans Ikua, ICT & Innovation Certification Manager James Kariuki Njenga, Mentored Internship Program Manager Judy Okite,Internet Governance Forum Coordinator

Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) is an open source task force which aims to unite individuals and organizations engaged in open source in the local, regional and national level to participate and support the advocacy for the development, use and implementation of open source solutions in the African region.

Background

The idea behind the establishment of the FOSSFA was initiated during the ICT Policy and Civil Society Workshop which was held in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 6-8, 2002 in preparation for the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva. During the workshop, the participants realized the need for open source solutions in Africa. An Open Source Task Force for Africa (OSTA) was subsequently created to bring together entities engages in open source all over the African region. Eventually on February 2003, the organization was created during the preparatory committee meeting of the WSIS.

Vision and Mission

The organization's vision is to promote the use of FOSS and the FOSS model as part of the African development.It also aims to become the voice in promoting creativity,expertise and initiatives for free open source solution as well as women empowerment within the African continent.

Objectives

The foundation aims to achieve the following objectives:

• To serve as an advocate for the use and implementation of open source solutions from the local, regional at up to national level.
• To encourage donations from governments that support opensource such as Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.
• To create a Clearinghouse of Knowledge Factory
• To implement minimum standards, guidelines and advisory parameters that will be used by the organization
• To develop a localized capacity to work on software development in Africa
• To ensure that a discussion regarding open source will be included during the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) policy processes

Council Members

Pan-African Organisational Member

• Club des hommes et femmes d'affaires du libre en Afrique (CHALA)

National Organisational Members

• Bokk Jang Bokk Jeff – Senegal
• Ethiopian FOSS Network (EFOSSNET) – Ethiopia
• Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI–KACE) – Ghana
• Strathmore University - Kenya
• University Computing Center – Tanzania
• University of the Western Cape (UWC) – South Africa
• of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) – Uganda

Individual Members

• Alex Gakuru
• Brian Ssennoga
• Christian Roland
• Dorcas Muthoni
• Dorothy Gordon
• Edgar Telesphory
• Judy Okite
• Katim Touray
• Keutlwile Leso
• Majid Igangula
• Marion Mpanga
• Nico Elema
• Nnenna Nwakanma
• Samer Azmy

FOSSFA and ICANN

Katim S. Touray, the Council Vice-chairman of FOSSFA was selected in 2008 to become one of the members of the ICANN Board of Directors representing Africa.

World Summit on the Information Society