I am Birusha Ndegeya, a student software developer specializing in web and mobile apps at Kadea Academy in Goma. During my three-month training at Kali Academy, I dedicated myself to an open-source project and was accepted to dive into the fascinating world of open source.
The internship started on May 11 and ended on June 11 in Goma, North-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The goal of this internship was to provide practical experience through concrete projects and to train participants on how to contribute to open-source projects and behave within a community.
The Progress of My Internship
The First Month: The Foundation
The first month of our internship was focused on establishing solid foundations. We followed a structured program to become "real" hackers, which included learning in public, using the Linux system, and mastering the command line interface (CLI). We also reviewed Git and GitHub, essential tools for any open-source developer. A highlight of this period was reading the book "Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure," which profoundly enlightened us about the importance and philosophy of open source.
The Second Month: Specialization in Wikimedia
The second month immersed us in the fascinating world of Wikimedia. We had a quick introduction to Wikipedia and Wikidata and learned how to customize Wikipedia by modifying themes, gadgets, and beta features. We deepened our skills in Wikicode and advanced editing, working on models and templates. We also learned how to create and use Wikidata tools such as the Wikidata REST APIs and SPARQL. This month was crucial for understanding how to effectively contribute to Wikimedia projects and become Mediawiki experts.
The Third Month: Final Projects
In the last month, we were divided into two groups to work on final internship projects. I had the opportunity to participate in an exciting project called "Wiki Data Query AI." This open-source software is designed to help users perform queries on Wikidata without needing to know the SPARQL language. Working on this project allowed me to apply all the skills acquired during the first two months and contribute to a truly innovative tool.
Impact and Reflection
This internship at Kali Academy was a transformative experience. I not only acquired valuable technical skills but also gained a better understanding of the importance of open source. Collaboration with my fellow interns and our mentors also helped me develop essential interpersonal skills, such as teamwork and communication.
I personally thank our mentors Abel Mbula, Delord, and other mentors for dedicating their time and efforts to our training. Along the way, I am truly grateful to my friends who were there to answer my questions. It was a great experience to be among those students. I truly thank them and am ready for other exciting challenges.
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