Developers making a change

Technology is a part of our lives and we use it to communicate with each other almost each day. The seamlessness and convenience it brings to us has made it indispensable. Whether you use a smartphone or a computer, developers will always play a huge role on the applications you use to communicate through your mediums of technology. A community of developers called Developer Circles led by Lameck Mbangula Amugongo and facilitated by Facebook are hoping to use technology to change society. “Developer Circles is a community-driven program that's free to join and open to any developer. Developer Circles are forums to share knowledge, collaborate, build new ideas, and learn about the latest technologies from Facebook and other industry leaders,” he shares. He added that a Developer circle is open to anyone passionate about coding and learning a new skill. “Whether a member of a circle is a student learning how to code, a developer looking to turn an idea into a reality, or an experienced coder searching for the latest Facebook product and open source tool updates, Developer Circles empowers a diverse range of technical talent to improve their skills and access the information they need,” he says. The software developer argues that we live in the digital and information age and that most careers in the future will be aligned to technology. “It is very important that young people prepare for the turbulent times ahead, they should learn computer science or information technology because it is where most of the jobs will be available in the future,” he warns. He says platforms such as Developer Circles allow people to work together and come up with solution for problems that would benefit society. “Developer Circles are important as they bring developers, designers, technology enthusiasts and citizens to share ideas, collaborate and learn from each other. “Additionally, developer platforms also facilitate co-creation among diverse stakeholder through events such as hackathons and community challenges,” he says.Amugongo is adamant that technology if used properly can be applied to improve life and get rid of societal issues such as poverty and unemployment. “In terms of Namibia, developers are important as they play a crucial role in applying their Information Technology to solve local technical challenges from water shortages to e-governance. The creation of a strong developer community will also play a vital role in the creation of a strong ICT industry in Namibia, which will create the much needed new jobs,” he shares. Amugongo, who holds a Bachelor of Information Technology (IT) in Software Engineering, an Honours degree in Computer Science, and a Master's degree in Computer Science was recently selected as one of the hundred Brightest Young Minds and was also awarded the Youth Innovator Award by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology. He says programming and computer technology in Namibia has grown over the years and the industry has seen a rise in the amount of developers. He advises the youth to think clearly about the careers they intend on taking in the future because technology has the potential of impacting their choices at a later date. “The future of jobs will become more uncertain as robots or machines become more intelligent because they will be automating millions of jobs. The youth should prepare for the future and take up all opportunities such as joining the developers circles, learn how to code,” he says.Shona Ngava

Developers making a change

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Developers making a change

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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