News

The University of Botswana Innovation Pod (UNIPOD), in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, has officially launched the inaugural Linux Club programme at Naledi Senior Secondary School, marking a significant step towards advancing open-source skills development among secondary school learners.

The Linux Club forms part of the Open-Source Systems Skills Development Programme under the UNIPOD. The initiative is aimed at accelerating the adoption of Open-Source Software (OSS) across Botswana. The programme started with approximately 20 students and three (3) teachers undertaking foundational Linux training. Sessions commenced in February and are held weekly at the University of Botswana’s Computer Science labs, providing participants with hands-on exposure to real-world computing environments.

Welcoming participants at the launch, Mr Tebogo Ketshabile underscored the immediate benefits of strategic collaboration. He highlighted that the capacity-building programme introduced students to the core principles of open-source technologies. Such aligned with broader national aspirations for software sovereignty and digital independence, he added.

Naledi Senior School’s Programme Coordinator, Mr Alfred Monyake, expressed appreciation for the partnership and the opportunity afforded to students. He noted that the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education recently equipped schools with laptops running Ubuntu, a widely used open-source operating system. “This training comes at an opportune time, ensuring that students can fully leverage the technology already deployed in schools,” he said.

Mr Bigani Sehurutshi, a certified Linux instructor and lead facilitator of the programme, echoed the same sentiments, emphasising the growing importance of open-source technologies globally. Mr Sehurutshe further expressed ambition to expand the initiative to more schools particularly in rural areas and noted that discussions were at an advanced stage to attract both international partners and national stakeholders to scale the programme’s impact.

The Linux Club initiative represents a forward-looking approach to equipping Botswana’s youth with critical digital skills, fostering innovation and building a sustainable, open-source-driven technology ecosystem.