Internet
Society Gambia Chapter (ISOC) in collaboration with African Network Operators
Group(AFNOG)convened a five-day intensive training for 30 women drawn from The
Gambia and Senegal in technology at Khamsy conference hall.
The
participants were drawn fromthe ministry of Energy, MOBSE, ministry of Finance,
ministry of Agriculture, National Assembly, ministry of Higher Education,
MOICE, Foreign Affairs, Gamtel, Unique FM, GIA, MRC, PURA, GPA,SSHFC, Trust
Bank and The Point Newspaper.
Speaking
at the training, Nancy Dose, coordinator of African Network Operators Group
(AFNOG), said AFNOG was a forum for technical coordination and cooperation
among African Internet Service providers and Network engineers from the regions
universities, research institutions and industry.
She
said the objectives was to build a community of engineers to help each other
operating internet infrastructure in Africa, and on the Global Internet as well
as promote the discussion of issues relating to implementation of new networks
that require community cooperation.
According
to her, the internet is gaining a stronger level of engineer foothold in
Africa, thanks to the technical collaboration and educational programmes established
through the African Network Operators Group.
She
further stated that theorganisation was founded in 1999, and the inaugural AFNO
workshop and conference took place in Cape Town, South Africa and has since
been held in various countries.
She
mentioned some of their achievements, which included but not limited to
building a community of African Network operators who are helping themselves
with challenges in Africa and globally.
They
have held 17 workshops in 17 different African countries covering 4 sub-
regions, and these have beenvery successful and have an active mailing list to
collate annual events with other ICT related events.
For
his part, Alagie Ceesay, the secretary general ofInternet Society Gambia
chapter, said this was a global organization of internet providers and was a
nonprofit organisation.
He
indicated that their role was to develop internet standards.
He
said the internet could address their goals which include getting people
online, connecting to unconnected, developing policy and cyber security.
He
stated that the programme was an African Engineers led, adding that they are
collaborating with AFNOG for capacity building programmes.
He advised the participants to take the
training very seriously as the importance attached to it could not be over
emphasized.
He also thanked their sponsors and
collaborators for making the conference a success in The Gambia.
