DPG Student Meetup-Central University /12/07/2025

University DPG Communities
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DPG Student Meetup Reporting

Submitted by:

Full Name: Mark Morlai Gbla

University / Campus: Central University – Main Campus

Designated Point of Contact Role: Lead Organiser/ Club Lead

Date of Submission: 14/07/2025

1. Meetup Details

Item Description
Meetup Title/Theme Discover DPG and Why it matters to Build Open Source projects
Meetup Date 12/07/2025
Meetup Duration 2 hour (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
Venue Room D, Central University
Notable Stakeholders Club Executives

2. Attendance Summary

Gender Count
Male 26
Female 4
Other/Prefer not to say 0
Total 30

3. Documentation & Media

DPG-central first meetup Group Pic
DPG-central first meetup Group Pic1080×810 174 KB

Social Media Post Link(s):

  1. Activities Conducted
Activity Description
Presentation Discover DPG and Why it matters to Build Open Source projects
Group Activity Brainstorm: What can students build as DPGs for Sierra Leone?
Icebreaker/Game DPG Word Match– quick challenge with small prizes
Other Photo session + informal networking
  1. Highlights: What Stood Out?

Positive Moments or Feedback:
High energy session with students curious about how to start DPG projects on campus.

Strong Participation:
Over 70% of attendees engaged during the group activity and shared tech ideas.

Creative Ideas Generated:
Students proposed an offline education app using OER content and an agriculture DPG using weather and crop data.

  1. Challenges or Constraints
Challenge Description Suggested Fix
Venue/Logistics Minor delay in setup Secure hall at least 2 hours before event
Tech Issues Wi-Fi was unstable for 10 minutes Always prepare an offline demo backup
Promotion Event was shared 3 days prior only Begin digital promotion 1 week in advance
Participation A few attendees were quiet at first Icebreakers helped — continue using them

Media folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lzzgz6y-U1JjEQ0ThYIhp0zk2zS0jP_E?usp=sharing

3 Likes
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Hey Mark, great work to you and the team !

Can you share some of the tech ideas which came up as stated ? Are you guys going to do some work around any ?

1 Like
3

I would also be interested in knowing if there is a way we can support those ideas :slight_smile:

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Hey! Thank you so much — really appreciate the support!

Yes, during our discussions around Digital Public Goods (DPG), a few exciting tech ideas came up that align with solving local challenges using open-source, inclusive, and impactful solutions. Some of the standout ideas included:

  • An open-source school result management system for underserved schools to help them move from paper to digital records.

  • A community health tracker that can work offline and sync when connected, useful in rural areas with limited internet access.

  • A platform to help students and communities find and locate safe water sources for domestic use in rural environments—designed to improve access to clean water and support better decision-making using open data.

  • A local language chatbot that simplifies access to government or community services for people with low digital literacy.

We’re currently exploring which of these ideas can be developed further in alignment with the DPG framework — open, reusable, and aligned with the SDGs. The goal is to not just brainstorm, but actually build or contribute to solutions that can serve communities both locally and globally.

We’d definitely love to collaborate if others are interested too!

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Absolutely — and that means a lot! :blush:

We’d really appreciate any kind of support, whether it’s through technical mentorship, collaborative development, or even just helping us validate the ideas with real community needs. Since the goal is to align these projects with the Digital Public Goods (DPG) framework, we’re especially open to support around:

Guidance on building open-source, scalable solutions

Connecting us to communities or partners who might benefit from or contribute to these tools

Access to relevant datasets or APIs for projects like the water source locator

Opportunities to pilot or test the solutions in real environments

And of course, funding or resources, no matter how small, can really help bring these ideas to life

We’re excited about the potential impact, and any support that helps push these ideas forward—especially from people already active in the DPG space—would be incredibly valuable.Let’s definitely stay connected on how we can collaborate further!

Absolutely — and that means a lot! :blush:

We’d really appreciate any kind of support, whether it’s through technical mentorship, collaborative development, or even just helping us validate the ideas with real community needs. Since the goal is to align these projects with the Digital Public Goods (DPG) framework, we’re especially open to support around:

Guidance on building open-source, scalable solutions

Connecting us to communities or partners who might benefit from or contribute to these tools

Access to relevant datasets or APIs for projects like the water source locator

Opportunities to pilot or test the solutions in real environments

And of course, funding or resources, no matter how small, can really help bring these ideas to life

We’re excited about the potential impact, and any support that helps push these ideas forward—especially from people already active in the DPG space—would be incredibly valuable.Let’s definitely stay connected on how we can collaborate further!

2 Likes