Facebook is taking its Developer Conference, F8 on the road to cities worldwide. The company will make a stop in Africa with an event in Nairobi, Kenya on the 22nd of November. Making this the company’s first ever major event on the African continent. Since the learning visit of Mark Zuckerberg in 2016.
Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Director Platforms Partnerships, Facebook says “Facebook iD8 is an opportunity for us to connect face-to-face with developers“. The company will use the event to share details on its latest technology and products. As well as offer attendees an opportunity to share their developer journeys. He shares that forty percent of participants attending F8 developer conference have come from other countries. So “we realize how meaningful it is for us to engage in-person through local events” he continues.
iD8 is an event for developers and businesses to learn how technology can enable the best of what people can do together.
Facebook iD8, Konstantinos says is a two way dialogue. Where Facebook gets a chance to hear about developer and business experiences. As well as learn about challenges and roadblocks. Whilst providing an opportunity to connect with other members in the community who may face similar challenges.
Topics of discussion at the event will range from AR/VR, Messenger, Social Commerce and more. There will be hands-on demonstrations and discussions with Facebook product experts.
The event announcement reads;
Facebook iD8 is making its way to Nairobi! Tune into the livestreams on November 22nd to hear speakers share everything from the importance of globally accessible developer education to how you can build your business on Facebook. Stay tuned for more session details and an RSVP invite to join from wherever you are. #FBiD8Nairobi
We realize how meaningful it is for us to engage in-person through local events.
Facebook says iD8 is an invite-only event. Registration links are yet to be revealed. I believe local Facebook developer circle groups will get them first, so join a circle. Follow the conversation online using the hashtag #FBiD8Nairobi. Update: Click to register.
The event has so far stopped in Singapore, Berlin, São Paul and New York.
Microsoft 4Afrika’s Skills #Interns4Afrika Kenya Internship initiative offers you a way to build work experience in a thriving environment.
Do you live in Nairobi, Kenya? Get to be a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Nairobi Technical Support, Sales or Marketing intern. Microsoft’s Interns4Afrika initiative is offering a unique experience with a dynamic and agile technology organization.
The intern will get the opportunity to work for 6 months with a Microsoft partner organization on real projects. Get to collaborate and skill up on the job with the help of colleagues. You can also get to be hired by the firm depending on your performance and if you are interested in being hired after the internship program.
“You can also get to be hired by the firm depending on your performance and if you are interested in being hired after the internship program” a participant shared.
All the best to you as you apply. If you do get in, come back and share the experience with us? Also kindly report any broken links so we can fix them. Thank you.
Have you had a previous experience? Are you going to apply? Talk to us in the comments. Also kindly share this post, you might help someone’s career. Thank you.
We will be updating this list when new positions are available. So bookmark the page and check back. Subscribe to recieve latest opportunities as well.
Several Kenyan government and public service websites were hacked early this year rendering services unavailable. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, cyber-attacks in Kenya increased by 167% from October to December 2018. This cybersecurity firm Serianu Ltd says cost the Kenyan economy about 29.5B KSH [286M USD]. The firm also shared from their report that African businesses lost US$3.5bn in 2018 from cybercrime. With Kenya being one of the hardest hit countries in the region per the report.
Cybersecurity is a central challenge of our digital age says Microsoft East and Southern Africa Manager Sebuh Haileleul.
At Microsoft, we are committed to educating, empowering and enabling individuals and organisations. To digitally transform in a secure online environment. As organisations continue to pursue a fully digitally transformed future, threats within the cyberspace will continue to become more advanced. This will leave individuals and organisations alike with no choice but to turn to the ever-improving capabilities that advanced technologies and solutions bring with it.
Cybersecurity trends in Kenya
Speaking about the cybersecurity trends in Kenya, Sebuh shares that ransomware attacks had declined.
“We found that in the past year ransomware attacks as a vector declined. Software supply chains became a risk, cryptocurrency mining prevalent and that phishing still remains the preferred attack method. While this may indicate progress in blocking ransomware attacks against organisations, it also draws our attention to new avenues now being identified for attacks.”
Microsoft Business Group Director, Pratik Roy, chipped in that the global cost of online crime is expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021. He says organisations now, more than ever, need to continue building organizational resilience and meaningful risk reduction.
For the Microsoft Kenya country manager, Sebuh Haileleul companies need to take immediate action to address security concerns. This he says improves their security postures.
“It is critical for companies to strengthen their core security hygiene. (Across things like monitoring, antivirus, patch and operating systems), adopt modern platforms and comprehensive identity, security and management solutions“.
Organizations can improve their security by moving to the cloud, adopting modern platforms and embracing comprehensive identity, security and management solutions. – Kellington Kituku, Enterprise Business
Using AI and Quantum Computing
The Microsoft manager shares on how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing help tackle cybersecurity.
“The use of AI to combat cybersecurity to fill crucial gaps by analyzing a vast ocean of threat data to prevent attacks before they occur is a factor that organisations, through partnering with the correct solutions provider, remains pivotal. Furthermore, the cloud is and still will be imperative to securing the modern workplace. Lastly, quantum computing, although still in its infancy will require threat analysts to keep an eye on what advances in quantum computing would mean for security in 2019 and beyond.”
Microsoft hosts 32 women in technology in a hackathon event in Nairobi.
9th July 2019, Nairobi: Kenya
Furthering its commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the engineering and technology space, Microsoft hosted the LEAP Hackathon. The event, which strives to increase technology skills, facilitate learning through challenges as well as strengthen the place of women in the technology sector, focused on solutions in the agricultural and health sectors.
“Research shows that the average productivity of major crops in Kenya has only increased by 17% over the last 10 years.
The lack of digitally enabled agripreneurs, inputs and quality data are sited as the reasons for this slow growth.
Microsoft endeavors to close the gap that exists in this sector by training ‘women hackers’ from non-traditional ICT backgrounds in the LEAP Hackathon programme who competed for the top spot in the hackathon”
Amrote Abdella, Regional Director for Microsoft 4Afrika.
The LEAP Engineering Acceleration Program is a 16-week program – launched to increase diversity within Microsoft. The program provides real world experience through development and project management apprenticeships and combines traditional classroom learning with hands-on projects.
32 Female hackers were identified to participate in the hackathon using a strict recruitment process which helped gauge the abilities of the applicants through 2 rounds of evaluation of the applications.
Participants of the hackathon received Azure credits while the overall winning group was awarded prizes.
The hackathon was a success, many novel solutions
were brought forth by the participants, but the group called The BugSlayers took
centre stage with their innovative AgRight presentation. AgRight is a
web application that uses Microsoft AI (Azure Custom Vision) for pest and
disease prediction. The app can also predict harvest time, connects farmers to
buyers and monitors farm activities. The bright minds behind this invention are
Clara Nashipai, Sylvia Achach, Rosianah Musyoka and Bethany Jepchumba.
Post hackathon, Microsoft will work with the
winning group on an ongoing internship program where they will be mentored and
helped to further build and develop their solution and skills.
“We are thrilled at the outcome of this year’s LEAP hackathon! As we continue to work to upskill and educate women across the continent – the endless opportunities and unprecedented innovations this brings is something we are excited to be a part of” Amrote Abdella.
All-Female Microsoft LEAP Hackathon event in Nairobi.
I thought it was going to be just an ordinary hackathon, when I first heard about the Microsoft LEAP hackathon. Where you just go and compete for prizes and that is it. Says Rosianah Musyoka, selected participant at Microsoft LEAP hackathon in Nairobi, Kenya.
“I was very excited when I got the acceptance email to participate in the program. My expectations were surpassed, interacting with some of the Microsoft engineers and learnt quite a lot from them. I gained a lot of knowledge around Microsoft Azure and made new friends.” she shares.
Microsoft selected twenty-six female developers to participate in its maiden LEAP hackathon event in Nairobi, Kenya. With a similar event underway for female developers in Lagos, Nigeria. An initiative of the recently launched Microsoft Africa Development Center in both cities. The all-female hackathon event “is to strengthen the place of women in the tech ecosystem” Microsoft says.
Learning
Participants were taken through four days of learning: Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps, Azure AI, Machine Learning, etc. technologies. As well as hacking ideas using learnt technologies.
For Rosianah Musyoka the Microsoft LEAP
program was amazing. She hopes there we will be more of such in Kenya. Sharing that some of the things she learnt
during the event aren’t taught in school. Rosianah is a computer science final
year student at the University of Nairobi.
“Through the program, we have gained lots of skills which have equipped us to become better developers. The trainers who were all Microsoft employees were great, friendly and always ready to help.
Most of the things learned within the one week of the LEAP hackathon are not taught in school. It started with learning how to write maintainable and testable code, learning about dockers and containers, Azure Dev Ops, Azure custom vision, Azure machine learning studio among others.
In addition, we were exposed to other key nontechnical skills which are important when creating systems. These include creating a system that is inclusive of everyone, trustworthy, transparent, etc.”
The female developers were put in teams and tasked with solving societal problems in Agriculture and financial services industry (FSI). Requiring them to develop creative solutions using the technologies they’ve learnt. Rosianah and her teammates emerged winners of the hackathon event. Designing a web application powered by Microsoft Artificial Intelligence. The app helps Maize farmers predict and manage pests and diseases, predict harvest time and the yield amount as well as connect buyers to the farmers.
Hacking Ideas
“During the hackathon my team came up with a project which focuses on two main users, maize farmers and maize vendors. The problems we are solving for the farmer include: Lack of information about pests and disease and how to manage them. Lack of ready market access. Unpredictability of yield and harvest time. Due to this, the farmer is unable to plan for his business well.
The problems we are solving for the vendor include: Unpredictability of supply, hence the vendor is unable to plan for business. Lack of a reliable supply.
We solved the above problems using a web application powered by Azure AI services to: Help farmers predict and manage pests and diseases. Predict harvest time and the yield amount. Connecting Buyers and Farmers.
It was great to work on solutions that positively impact our society. Our solution was motivated by the problem, not any technology.
We had to think about the business model for our project, any similar projects that have launched and even competition market. We also brought in some knowledge acquired in school such as design thinking (developing for the user), business management and entrepreneurship among others to ensure that we do our project well and to completion.”
#MSLEAPHACKATHON#Microsoft I am really excited. My team and I won the competition. We hot ourselves some interesting prizes including ???
The winning team will continue to receive mentorship and assistance from Microsoft in building their project into a realization. Rosianah hopes their idea when actualized, will be used by farmers and maize vendors soon.
