Welcome to issue number two hundred and sixty-eight of Hashtag Jakarta EE!

While the last pieces of the Jakarta EE 11 TCK are being put together, the topic of Jakarta EE 12 is really getting some traction in the Jakarta EE Platform Project. It is great to see the discussions around Jakarta Config as well as several other specifications and areas for this release. The Jakarta NoSQL project is polishing up the material for its release review, which should be ready to go pretty soon. This is a major milestone for the project! Jakarta Data has produced all the material for a plan review, so the project is in a very good state for Jakarta EE 12. Check out the issues labeled for Jakarta EE 12 in the Jakarta EE Platform issue tracker.

After a couple of months with holiday break, vacation, and conference low-season, I will now get on the road again. First up is the Madrid JUG on Tuesday next week. I look forward to getting out where the community is.

Software-defined vehicles sit at the crossroads of automotive and software development – two fields where, sadly, women have historically been underrepresented. The good news is that this convergence presents a unique opportunity to bridge the gender gap by joining forces, sharing experiences, and uniting talents from both domains.

Automotive and software development share a common trait: compared to other scientific and technological domains, both are relatively young fields that have greatly benefitted from the contributions of women inventors and pioneers in their early days. So why not reflect on the achievements of these early days and learn from them?

7 Early Female Trailblazers in Automotive Innovation

The history of the automotive industry is often told through the lens of iconic vehicles, groundbreaking technologies, and legendary male inventors. Yet, women have played a vital role in shaping the evolution of mobility – contributing innovation, creativity, and determination to an industry traditionally dominated by men. A compelling write-up on the BMW blog (in German) highlights some of the remarkable women who have significantly shaped the automotive industry.

Women’s contributions to automotive innovation date back to the very beginnings of the industry. Let’s spotlight seven inspiring women whose impact continues to resonate in the automotive world and beyond.

• Bertha Benz, wife of Karl Benz, took a groundbreaking journey in 1888, driving the first motor car over a long distance. This not only demonstrated the practicality of the automobile but also catalysed its acceptance by the public. Her journey, marked by ingenuity and resilience, exemplified the importance of women’s involvement in showcasing and advancing new technologies.

• At this time of the year, who would want to drive a car without a heating system? Well guess who invented it – right, it was not a male innovator! Margaret A. Wilcox debuted her car heating technology as early as 1893, when her concept was patented. Her invention used heat produced by cars' internal combustion engines, directing warm air into the passenger compartment. Thank you, Ms. Wilcox, for making the car a more comfortable and inviting space!
• Another major contribution to driving comfort are windshield wipers. The modern wipers owe much to the contributions of two pivotal figures in the automotive industry:
  1. Mary Anderson invented mechanical windshield wipers and was granted a 17-year patent in 1903. However, she was unable to turn her idea into a commercial success – the cleaning device was not deemed necessary by the company she tried to sell the rights to.
  2. Charlotte Bridgwood invented the first electric windshield wiper in 1917, revolutionising driver safety. While her invention initially received limited commercial success, it paved the way for one of the most essential components in automotive safety today.
• In 1909, pioneering racing car driver Dorothy Levitt published a handbook for women drivers, The Woman and the Car. In it, she recommends using a mirror to observe the traffic behind one’s own car. This idea later inspired the invention of the rearview mirror.
• Similar to Hedy Lamarr, who co-invented the foundation of modern WiFi and Bluetooth technology, Florence Lawrence (1886-1938) was both a gifted film actress and an astute inventor. She developed the precursor to the modern turn signal and the first mechanical brake. Unfortunately, she received no credit or financial recognition for these groundbreaking innovations, which seems to be a  recurring theme among many women inventors in the automotive industry, whose contributions we now often take for granted.

• Did you know that Kevlar was also invented by a woman? In 1968, Stephanie Kwolek, a Polish-American scientist, filed a patent for the synthetic fibre that would revolutionise the automotive industry. She received numerous prestigious awards for her invention, including DuPont’s Lavoisier Medal and the National Medal of Technology. She was also included in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. With Kevlar now used in over 200 applications, Kwolek’s influence extends far beyond the automotive industry.

Women’s Leadership in Computing and Automotive Software

As the automotive industry transitions into the era of software-defined vehicles, the role of women in computing becomes even more significant. The pioneering efforts of figures like Ada Lovelace, often regarded as the first computer programmer, laid the groundwork for the integration of software in modern vehicles. Later, Grace Hopper’s contributions to programming languages and systems continue to influence automotive software engineering. In the 1960s, Margaret Hamilton coined the term "software engineering" and played a pivotal role in creating the software that ensured the success of the Apollo 11 moon landing. In recent years, the iconic 1969 photo of her – a petite woman standing beside the towering stack of paper containing the Apollo code – went viral on social media.

Today, women in computing and software development are driving advancements in autonomous driving, vehicle connectivity, and sustainable mobility solutions. Their expertise bridges the gap between hardware and software, enabling cars to become more intelligent, safe, and eco-friendly.

Today’s Women Networks in Automotive and SDVs

Despite the significant contributions women have made to the automotive industry, they remain underrepresented in automotive – and SDV – leadership today. While there are notable exceptions, such as Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, or Linda Zhang, chief engineer behind Ford’s all-electric F-150 Lightning, the majority of automakers are still predominantly led by men. This is also surprising in the sense that women influence 85% of car buying decisions and are 62% of car buyers, according to a Forbes article that investigates the reasons for the absence of women in the automotive industry (spoiler: many of them are related to company culture and social structures).

Fortunately, numerous professional networks now exist where women in the automotive industry support and empower one another while also working to attract new female talent. Organisations and initiatives aimed at fostering diversity and inclusion – such as mentorship programs, scholarships, and community-building events – are critical to breaking barriers and encouraging young women to pursue careers in automotive.

Here are just a few examples:

• Women Automotive Network: https://womenautomotivenetwork.com/en-eu
• Women in Automotive: https://womeninautomotive.com/
• Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation https://awafoundation.org/
• Women Automotive Technology: https://www.womenautotech.org/
• Amazing Women in Automotive: https://amazingwia.com/ 

Breaking Barriers and Building Diversity Through Open Source

Open source initiatives, such as the Eclipse Software-Defined Vehicle Working Group’s outreach efforts, highlight the value of diverse perspectives in driving innovation. By design, open source fosters a level playing field – outside the unwritten rules and behavioural patterns of traditional corporate culture – enabling the industry to tackle global challenges more effectively and address the needs of a diverse consumer base.

Proactive initiatives are essential for encouraging more women to join the automotive and software industries, which is why the Eclipse Foundation actively supports and contributes to the annual Women Automotive Summit Europe and supports initiatives such as the Girls Coding Academy’s hackathons in Lesotho, Africa. Additionally, open source ecosystems, through values such as transparency, openness, and meritocracy, provide an ideal environment for diverse contributors to thrive. 

Fun fact: Although more coincidental than intentional, the Eclipse SDV team is leading by example: 4 out of 5 core SDV staff members are women.

A Call to Action

The history and ongoing contributions of women in automotive remind us of the immense potential unlocked when barriers are broken. As we look to the future, fostering an inclusive environment is not just an ethical imperative but a strategic advantage. By empowering women to lead, innovate, and redefine mobility through software-defined vehicles, the automotive industry can continue its evolution into a more sustainable and equitable future.

Let us celebrate and amplify the stories of women in automotive – past, present, and future – and work collaboratively toward a world where talent and innovation know no gender boundaries.

Welcome to issue number two hundred and sixty-seven of Hashtag Jakarta EE!

I am still enjoying time off in Indonesia, but will be back in business again this week. I am happy to see the Jakarta Config specification is finally gaining some momentum again. This is a specification we wanted included first in Jakarta EE 10, and then in Jakarta EE 11. Now it looks like Jakarta EE 12 will be where it is finally made available to the Jakarta EE developers.

After coming back home, I will fairly quickly go on the road again to visit a couple of Java User Groups before the major conferences starts. First out will be Madrid, followed by New York, Connecticut, and Boston. Check out these and more events on my Jakarta EE Developer Advocate page.

Curious about what draws individuals to the automotive industry and to the Eclipse SDV Working Group? This month, we're kicking off a new series of brief interviews with our most active Eclipse SDV committers. Check out the first interview here with Luca Cominardi from the Eclipse Zenoh project for a glimpse of what’s to come. Stay tuned for more featured interviews by following Eclipse SDV on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

When and how did you start your career in automotive?

My career in automotive started by chance a couple of years ago when Eclipse Zenoh, the open source project I'm working on, started to be seen as a solution to modern car communication problems. I started to also work in automotive because of common problems the industry at large is facing regarding distributed software communication. Clearly, automotive adds its own spin to the problem.

What’s the biggest challenge for SDVs?

Software becoming one central pillar of building vehicles has significantly reshaped the engineering process to put a vehicle in production. Software from different vendors needs to be integrated in a more agile manner, made to evolve over time, while keeping a high standard for software safety and performance.

What has been your #1 benefit of joining the Eclipse SDV Working Group?

Having multiple players collaborating in the Eclipse SDV Working Group allowed us to better define and streamline requirements and solutions for Eclipse Zenoh in automotive. This definitely improved the project by providing those features that are required in automotive. And it's always nice to see more people now benefitting from it in the SDV Working Group.

How would you describe Eclipse SDV in three hashtags?

#dynamic #collaborative #futureisnow

Sometimes, research sparks more than just insight – it inspires action. That’s exactly what happened with our State of Open Source in the Global South report. Among the findings, one key takeaway stood out: open source projects and technologies, such the Eclipse Desktop IDE, are helping developers across the Global South develop skills, build solutions, and transform their communities.  

When Maneo Mapharisa, the founder of Girls Coding Academy in Lesotho, approached us with an idea to host a web development hackathon and training sessions, the decision to support her initiative felt natural. Her vision – to empower young people with coding skills using the Eclipse IDE – aligned perfectly with our research findings. Inspired by her passion and the data, we stepped in to help bring the project to life.  

Why Lesotho?

Lesotho, like many countries in the Global South, faces challenges such as limited access to technology, educational resources, and job opportunities in the tech sector. Yet, it is precisely in these environments that open source software has the potential to make the biggest difference.  

Our research revealed that 24% of developers in the Global South use the Eclipse Desktop IDE – a testament to its accessibility and versatility. For students and educators with limited resources, tools like the Eclipse IDE can level the playing field, offering powerful capabilities at no cost. This made it the ideal platform for Maneo’s hackathon and training sessions.  

Empowering Participation Through Hands-On Learning

In November, the Girls Coding Academy hosted two key events in Lesotho: a series of web development training sessions and a hackathon. Over 135 participants attended the workshops, which provided hands-on guidance on building functional web applications using the Eclipse IDE. The hackathon attracted 60 registrants, forming teams to tackle real-world challenges.  

The energy and enthusiasm were palpable. Some participants arrived with no prior coding experience, yet by the end of the hackathon, they had built fully functional websites.  

One participant shared, “I had never coded before, but using the Eclipse IDE made it easier to learn. I can’t believe I built something real in such a short time.”  

Real-World Impact 

The hackathon wasn’t just about learning – it was about solving problems that matter.  

- First Place: Team Digital Dreamers 

  Created a platform connecting young entrepreneurs with the resources they need to grow their businesses.  

  Visit their project: Digital Dreamers. 

- Second Place: Team PaCo 

  Developed a learning platform tailored for rural communities, providing accessible online resources.  

  Explore their work: Team PaCo  

- Third Place: Team 1s and 0s  

  Built a website for anonymous crime reporting, offering a safe space for youth to voice their concerns.  

  See their solution: 1s and 0s  

Beyond the competition, the initiative sparked lasting change. Many participants are now planning to continue their coding journeys, with some hoping to develop projects for their own businesses.

The workshop attracted over 135 participants. Photos courtesy of Girls Coding Academy.

Breaking Barriers for Women in Tech  

Maneo Mapharisa’s own story is a powerful reminder of why initiatives like this are so important. Growing up in Lesotho, Maneo didn’t have access to computers or coding education. Inspired by her brother, who studied Computer Science, she pursued a degree in the same field – despite being one of the few women in her program.  

This experience drove her to found Girls Coding Academy, which is dedicated to breaking down barriers for women and girls in tech. While the hackathon welcomed participants of all genders, the Academy continues to run training programs specifically for women and girls, helping to close the gender gap in technology.  

Maneo’s journey reflects the findings of our State of Open Source in the Global South report, which highlighted the potential of open source to empower women through education and skills development.  

Maneo Mapharisa’s own story is a powerful reminder of why initiatives like the Girls Coding Academy hackathons are so important.

Scaling the Impact  

The success of the Lesotho hackathon is just the beginning. Maneo and her team are already planning future events, including an all-Africa online hackathon. Her vision is to create solutions that go beyond fun and games, addressing critical issues like climate change, education, and small business support.  

Using the Eclipse IDE, these events will remain accessible to participants from diverse backgrounds. Maneo envisions a future where promising projects from these hackathons are nurtured in a tech incubator, turning ideas into impactful solutions.  

Reflections  

This initiative reaffirmed the transformative power of open source tools like the Eclipse IDE when paired with local leadership and a commitment to education.  

While we don’t yet have a formal global outreach program, opportunities like this inspire us to support changemakers like Maneo. Together, we can help communities unlock the potential of open source to transform lives, one hackathon at a time.  

For more stories about how open source is fostering skills and innovation across the Global South, visit our blog: Connecting People, Inspiring Learning.  

Share Your Eclipse Contributor Story

Are you a contributor to Eclipse projects and based in the Global South? 

Share your journey, the challenges you have overcome, and the impact you are making in the world of open source. Help inspire others and celebrate the incredible diversity and dedication that define our community. Click here to sign up and let us know you are interested!

Collaboration in the software-defined vehicle (SDV) space is not just a best practice; it’s a necessity. As the automotive industry shifts toward software-driven innovation, the role of open source becomes pivotal. However, fostering collaboration in a historically siloed industry presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges. At Open Community for Automotive last fall, experts Kai Hudalla, Steven Hartley, Phani Gangula, and Carlton Bale shared their insights on why collaboration and integration are so critical – and so difficult – in the SDV ecosystem.

Why Collaboration Matters

Kai Hudalla, Open Source Advocate at ETAS, succinctly captures the importance of collaboration in open source SDV: “This is the most important part for the success of any of these technologies.” He emphasises that much of the technology in the SDV domain is generic and not tied to domain-specific problems. Developing these foundational components independently – as has been the norm in the automotive sector – is inefficient and redundant. By pooling resources and expertise, companies can avoid reinventing the wheel and accelerate innovation.

Steven Hartley, Director of Product Engineering at BlackBerry QNX, highlights another dimension of collaboration: integration. “By integrating these projects with each other, it gives you an opportunity to demonstrate how the technologies can be blended across each other,” he explains. Projects like Eclipse Zenoh and Eclipse uProtocol exemplify how contributors from diverse organisations such as Zettascale, Bosch, and ETAS are working together to create interoperable solutions. This integration not only enriches the ecosystem, but also expands the pool of contributors, fostering a more vibrant and diverse community.

The Challenges of Collaboration

While the benefits of collaboration are clear, the path is fraught with obstacles. Hudalla underscores the cultural shift required in the automotive sector, where collaboration traditionally occurred through NDAs and closed-door agreements. “Finding a valid collaboration model is very challenging,” he notes. Companies must embrace open source’s transparency and shared ownership – a stark contrast to the legacy closed-source environment.

Safety requirements present another hurdle. Integrating open source development practices with rigorous safety standards is an ongoing challenge. Though efforts are underway (e.g. through our Automotive Processes SIG), achieving full alignment remains elusive.

Hartley points out that resistance to open source often stems from cultural inertia. However, he argues that open source collaboration delivers substantial benefits: “From a productivity and quality level, it’s so much better because of the expectations that everyone can see your code. You want to put your best foot forward and make sure it’s of the highest quality.” Adopting this mindset can enhance both open and closed-source projects within the automotive ecosystem.

Integration in Action: Success Stories

The Importance of Proactive Outreach

Phani Gangula, Senior Solutions Architect at Zettascale, shares a compelling example of successful collaboration through the Eclipse Fleet Management Blueprint –  an example that demonstrates how important it is to proactively reach out to committers beyond one’s own project and company. By proposing the integration of Eclipse Zenoh as a communication backbone – replacing MQTT – his team demonstrated the tangible value of collaboration. After discussions and code reviews with Eclipse Kuksa committers, the integration was accepted, paving the way for new Blueprints like the Service to Signal Blueprint. “Talking to other committers, coordinating how we can add value through this kind of integration led to this collaboration,” he recalls, urging others to embrace similar outreach.

Communicating the Benefits: Cost-Effectiveness, Standardisation

Carlton Bale, Director of Connectivity Strategy at Cummins, provides another powerful example involving Eclipse Kanto and Eclipse CANought. Together, these projects address two critical challenges in vehicle software updates: running the updater application on telematics devices and providing secure, standardised access over CAN to embedded ECUs. Open source solutions like uProtocol and uServices enable seamless integration across various components, delivering a cost-effective, standardised approach to software updates. Bale notes that these solutions work “across all makes and models of equipment”, highlighting the scalability and versatility of open source collaboration. Carlton’s example shows how important it is to raise awareness of the benefits of project collaboration, e.g. cost-effectiveness, standardisation, or seamless solutions. And let’s not forget the fun of working with diverse project teams from various companies, industries and countries!

Building the Future of SDVs Together

Collaboration and integration are the twin pillars of progress in the SDV field. By embracing open source principles, the automotive industry can overcome historical silos and unlock unprecedented innovation. As Hudalla, Hartley, Gangula, and Bale demonstrate, the path is not easy, but the rewards – accelerated development, higher quality, and a stronger community – are worth the effort.

For those considering stepping into the world of open source SDV, the message is clear: the time to collaborate is now. By working together, we can shape the future of mobility.

Welcome to issue number two hundred and sixty-six of Hashtag Jakarta EE!

I am on vacation in Indonesia this week, so this post will be a tad shorter than usual.

Java is always close. Right now closer than ever for me since it is just over the horizon. Jakarta is there on the other side as well, so I make sure to wear all the appropriate Jakarta EE branded gear while walking along the beach. So far, nobody has made any comments, though…

If you never experience the need to look up the term Bali Belly, you should consider yourself lucky.

The work with Jakarta EE 11 continues, I keep an eye on the activity on the various lists and forums even when I am not actively participating. Maybe Web Profile will be releases when I come home…?

The Eclipse Foundation is excited to announce the formation of the Eclipse Cloud Interest Group, aimed at empowering cloud providers, users, and industry vendors to independently build, manage, and operate cloud services, promoting freedom from vendor lock-in, interoperability, and resilience across diverse cloud environments.

Why This Matters

In today’s digital landscape, the need for flexible, scalable and interoperable cloud solutions has never been greater. Vendor lock-in can stifle innovation, limit choices, and create unnecessary barriers for cloud users. The Eclipse Cloud Interest Group believes that cloud autonomy and interoperability are the keys to unlocking the full potential of cloud technologies. Imagine being able to switch between cloud providers seamlessly, adopt services that best meet your needs, and ensure your operations remain resilient no matter the platform. That’s the vision we’re working to achieve.

How We’re Making a Difference

This initiative doesn’t prescribe specific technologies or methods for building cloud infrastructure and service. Rather, it focuses on creating a framework for interoperability and portability. Key components like virtualisation, containerisation, orchestration, observability, billing, and identity management should be accessible, switchable, and manageable across different platforms. The goal? To make multi-cloud environments not just possible but practical and efficient.

To support this goal, the group will focus on several key areas, including the emergence of critical cloud components necessary for the development of autonomous cloud infrastructures, cloud service portability, and multi-cloud managed services interoperability. The group will also investigate ways to ensure that cloud  services not only meet interoperability requirements but also adhere to expected quality, performance, and service level standards.

Our work is rooted in open source technologies, which already power much of today’s cloud infrastructure. By leveraging existing projects like Eclipse Xpanse (portable managed services), Biscuit (decentralised authentication), the Eclipse Conformity Assessment Policy and Credential Profile (standards compliance), and XCP-ng (high-performance enterprise virtualisation), we’re building a strong foundation to empower developers and organisations alike. 

Aligned with EU Values

The Eclipse Cloud Interest Group aligns closely with the European Union’s Data Act, which emphasises switchability between cloud providers. By supporting these regulatory goals, we’re helping to advance digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of innovation while protecting user choice and independence.

What’s Next?

We’re just getting started, but the Eclipse Cloud Interest Group already has strong support from organisations like Clever Cloud, Gaia-X, Vates, and Overnet. Together, we’re laying the groundwork for the future of cloud services, with plans to evolve this Interest Group into an Eclipse Working Group to drive specifications and development activities.

Join Us!

Whether you’re a cloud provider, user, vendor, or part of the broader open source community, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of the cloud. Together, we can create a more autonomous, flexible, and interoperable cloud ecosystem.

The Eclipse Cloud members will be this week at FOSDEM with a BoF session planned in Track C, Saturday February 1st 15:00. A number of workshops to present the Interest Group are also planned in Barcelona on March 3rd (collocated with the Mobile World Congress) and in London on March 31st (collocated with Kubecon). Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more firsthand!

Stay tuned for updates, opportunities to contribute, and ways to get involved. Subscribe to our mailing list and become part of this exciting journey toward a better cloud future!

Welcome to issue number two hundred and sixty-five of Hashtag Jakarta EE!

Here’s some good news! The Jakarta NoSQL project is ready to release version 1.0 of the specification. At the moment, they are putting together the last bits and pieces of the material required for the release review by the Jakarta EE Specification Committee. You can look at it in the pull request for that purpose. It is a big milestone for a Jakarta specification project to release the first version of a specification. Congratulations to the team!

As for Jakarta EE 11, the Jakarta EE TCK project members continue their efforts to finalize the Jakarta EE Web Profile 11 TCK. There are just a couple of tests remaining and the focus is currently on updating the TCK User Guide for the refactored way of running the tests. You can follow their progress on their GitHub Project Board.

I will be on vacation for the next few weeks but don’t despair. As usual, I will monitor the progress and publish Hashtag Jakarta EE every week.

Open source technologies have a unique ability to connect people, transcend boundaries, and foster learning. This is exemplified by the collaboration between Ugandan developers Tayebwa Noah and Jessie Ssebuliba, and Germany-based Hendrik Ebbers, CEO of Open Elements, Eclipse Committer, and a member of the Eclipse Foundation Board of Directors. Despite never meeting in person, their shared passion for open source has connected them in impactful projects across continents. Recently, the three open source practitioners shared some insights with us, such as how open source is already being utilised in the medical sector across various African countries. We also learned how open source culture fosters a learning environment that, for some, is almost equivalent to a university course of study such as a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering.

Cultivating Curiosity for Coding

For Tayebwa, who was born in Northern Rwanda and later moved to Uganda for his school education, the journey into software development began in high school, where an Ethiopian friend introduced him to computers and they frequently played computer games. Over time, his fascination with how things worked behind the screen grew, and he realized he would have to delve into computer science to really understand the inner workings of computers and video games. This insight led him to pursue a degree in Software Engineering in university.

Jessie discovered software engineering through open source – notably its meaningful, real-world application in the medical sector. Inspired by his brother’s work on the OpenMRS project, an open source medical records system, Jessie embraced software engineering as an opportunity to learn and innovate. Remarkably, he is a completely self-taught developer and open source practitioner. He recalls: “I learned everything from YouTube. Through open source, through OpenMRS, I also learned a lot” – from his initial experiences with Jira and GitHub to successfully sending his first pull request.

Discovering Open Source and Its Impact

Ultimately, both developers were introduced to open source through OpenMRS, which has been adopted by over 80 countries. Noah estimates that about 80% of Ugandan developers he’s in contact within open source are involved in OpenMRS, the foremost Ugandan implementation of OpenMRS being UgandaEMR+. Ugandan adopters include the Ministry of Health and Makerere University, but it’s also used in Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Lesotho, and more than 20 African countries. According to Noah and Jessie, the project also has numerous contributors from Uganda and Kenya. 

Noah reflects, “Open source helped me grow my skills and make connections, the most important of which was meeting Hendrik.” Jessie adds: “Open source paved the way for me to improve my skills and ultimately get my job. Open source really did me good.”

Their work in open source has also enabled the two young men to collaborate with global organisations and participate in initiatives such as Google Summer of Code. Hendrik Ebbers explains: “With open source, you have the possibility to work on a Google-sponsored project with people from Microsoft. Thirty years ago, it was not at all possible to work with people from those companies.”

Their stories underscore how open source and welcoming communities act as an alternative education pathway, equipping practitioners with skills comparable to a formal computer science degree.

Collaboration Beyond Borders

Hendrik first met Noah through the Eclipse Adoptium project, where Noah demonstrated enthusiasm for learning and contributing. Noah had done some research on open source projects for Google Summer of Code when he came across Adoptium:  “When I went through open source projects, I learned about the Eclipse Foundation.” When he asked a question on the Adoptium Slack channel, Hendrik was the first person to respond. “Noah was able to help us on the web page and on documentation, which is always a good place to start,” reports Hendrik. 

Noah also explored other Eclipse projects. During Google Summer of Code 2024, he contributed to the Eclipse Cargo Tracker project under the mentorship of Reza Rahman. Documenting his experience in a blog post, Noah wrote:  “This journey has not only honed my technical skills but also deepened my passion for contributing to open source projects.”

Noah later introduced Jessie to Open Elements, and Hendrik hired both of them as contractors, marking the beginning of a partnership that thrives despite geographical distance. Their contributions span web development, libraries, and critical projects like Apache Maven, supported by Germany’s Sovereign Tech Fund from January 2025. 

Earlier this year, the Open Elements trio attended a hackathon where OSS was used, Hedera’s “Hello Future” hackathon. During the event, they worked with the Hiero, a blockchain project under the auspices of the Linux Foundation. Within a few weeks, they created a full application with a web frontend and Java backend. 

While Jessie is currently working on the websites of Open Elements and Eclipse Adoptium, Noah and Hendrik are focusing on the open source libraries that Open Elements is developing. For example, Noah is assisting the community with pull requests, reviewing them, and answering questions. In general, his Ugandan colleagues’ flexibility and eagerness to learn has enabled Hendrik to identify and contribute to a variety of open source projects that are of strategic relevance to his growing company. 

Jessie and Noah are deeply enthusiastic about the open source community, finding it hard to identify areas for improvement when contributing to Eclipse projects. The only challenge Noah has encountered in his open source journey is a common one: in projects with fewer committers, responses to urgent questions can sometimes take longer.

Being a Developer in Kampala, Uganda

Currently, both Noah and Jessie are working from a coworking space in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. This comes with challenges such as unpredictable power outages, especially during the wet season, and absence of street addresses. However, coworking spaces equipped with generators and Hendrik’s efforts to ensure fair compensation and resources, including health insurance and adequate hardware equipment, have mitigated these difficulties. Open Elements is committed to treating Noah and Jessie as full-time employees, reflecting the global shift toward inclusive work environments.

Noah and Jessie envision fostering a stronger local tech community in Kampala. They aim to collaborate with coworkers in their own city and organisations like Open Source Community Africa to inspire more Ugandan developers to embrace open source. “There’s a huge number of tech enthusiasts in Uganda,” Jessie notes. “But open source projects based in Uganda are still rare.”

The Transformative Power of Open Source

For Noah, open source provides a sense of pride and purpose. “On a personal level, I feel good if I worked on a project and I know that it is deployed globally and that it’s going to help someone else. It makes me feel proud every time I look at the work I did in open source and I know someone out there uses it. It feels like I had an impact on the tech world and maybe I’ve had an impact on someone. On a professional level, open source has helped me get a job, and I’m hoping for more opportunities to come.”

Jessie echoes this sentiment, emphasising how open source communities have shaped his career and personal growth. “Contributing to open source has paved the way for me to improve my skills. When I look through my pull requests from a few years ago, I see my journey and learning curve and I feel happy. It’s a really nice thing to join open source communities.” He adds: “In Uganda it’s hard to get a job if you don’t have qualifications such as a bachelor’s degree,” so his involvement in open source projects has helped the self-taught developer land his job at Open Elements.

In the future, Noah, who began his journey with JavaScript, React, and other frontend technologies, aims to focus more on Java and backend development: “When I tried Java, it felt like this is where I’m meant to be.” For Jessie, his professional interests are directed toward Web3 and blockchain technology, areas he strives to specialise in.

Noah’s and Jessie’s stories illustrate the profound impact of open source on individual lives and global collaboration. By connecting people, inspiring learning, and addressing real-world challenges, open source continues to break barriers and create (career) opportunities, proving that it is more than just a development model – it’s a bridge between continents and cultures.

Their journey reflects broader trends highlighted in the State of Open Source in the Global South research report, which emphasises how open source creates opportunities for skills development, collaboration, and career growth in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Stories like those of Noah and Jessie provide real-world examples of these findings at a personal level. We look forward to sharing more inspiring stories from our community as we continue to showcase the impact of open source developers across emerging economies.

Share Your Eclipse Contributor Story

Are you a contributor to Eclipse projects and based in the Global South? 

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Tayebwa Noah (left) is a passionate software developer at Open Elements with a deep love for open source collaboration. Over the years, he has made  contributions to various prominent open source projects, including OpenMRS, HOTOSM, Eclipse Adoptium, Eclipse EE4J, and Jakarta EE. His dedication to open source innovation earned him a place as a participant in the prestigious Google Summer of Code 2024 program under the Eclipse Foundation.

Jessie Ssebuliba (right) is a passionate front-end engineer and tech enthusiast from Kampala, Uganda. A two-time Google Summer of Code (GSoC) intern at OpenMRS, Jessie has built a strong reputation in open source contributions. Currently working full-time at Open Elements, Jessie focuses on delivering innovative solutions while driving impactful projects. As an active contributor to Eclipse Adoptium and Hedera Hashgraph technologies, Jessie is deeply passionate about Web3 and blockchain ecosystems. With a commitment to continuous learning and technical excellence, Jessie thrives at the intersection of decentralised applications, open source development, and modern front-end technologies.

Hendrik Ebbers is a Java champion, a member of JSR expert groups and a JavaOne rockstar. He has achieved all this through his passion for open source and communities. Hendrik is the founder and leader of the Java user group Dortmund and gives talks and presentations at conferences and selected user groups worldwide. Hendrik is a member of the Jakarta EE Working Group (WG) and the Adoptium WG. In addition, Hendrik Ebbers is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eclipse Foundation. In addition to Eclipse-related projects, Hendrik also contributes to other open source software (OSS). For example, he is a core committer of the Hedera Hashgraph, the only open source public ledger written in Java.