Aw yu du, Salone?
First Week with UNICEF Sierra Leone - all about building foundations!
Greetings from Freetown! My first week here has been incredibly enriching, working with UNICEF Sierra Leone's innovation team. The city's tropical vibe and welcoming spirit remind me so much of Goa - it's amazing how places across continents can feel so similar.
Before diving in, quick context: this update covers my work with the UNICEF SL innovation team on Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and Open Source initiatives, separate from my ongoing OoI and Frontier team responsibilities.
Week 1 Highlights
Monday: Getting Oriented
Started with a deep dive into our DPG and Open Source priorities through team 1:1s. Got right into the action with the "Joint Agency Collaboration Flood Modelling" session - nothing beats hands-on work with government partners on day one!
Tuesday: The Christex Foundation Experience
This was definitely a highlight! Spent the day running an open-source workshop with the Christex Foundation team, and what a brilliant bunch they turned out to be. The energy in the room was incredible - young, sharp minds firing questions and sparking discussions that kept us going for hours. It's really refreshing to work with a team so eager to both learn and contribute their own insights.
Wednesday & Thursday: Technical Deep Dives
- Focused on the DPG Pipeline Platform development
- Ran another open-source workshop, this time with the local tech community
- Led an Open Source 101 session with our UNICEF SL Innovation team
- Mapped out how our pipeline platform could connect with the OoI marketplace initiative
Friday: Supporting Local Innovation
Spent quality time with the DaVinci Hackathon winners, diving into the practicalities of open source sustainability. We covered everything from business models to the project-to-product journey - crucial conversations for building solutions that last.
What's Next?
The coming week will focus on:
- Refining our pipeline platform
- Evaluating which hackathon solutions have real DPG potential
- Setting up mentorship frameworks
- Building sustainable support systems
This first week has shown me the incredible potential in Sierra Leone's tech ecosystem. The enthusiasm here is contagious, and I'm excited to see how we can channel it into creating solutions that benefit children and communities worldwide.
A special shoutout to the Christex Foundation team (and Collin!!) - your curiosity and drive for innovation made those workshops one of the most engaging sessions I've had in a while. Those hours of discussion flew by, and the questions you raised will help shape our approach moving forward.
Looking forward to what we'll build together in the weeks ahead! here's some random photo I have from the week:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |