Pacific Chapter of the Internet Society
What is PICISOC?
The Pacific Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC) is a non-profit organization that is interested in expanding internet access to remote and rural parts of the Pacific region. PICISOC is also working towards advancing technology, encouraging knowledge of coding, and hosting hackathons to solve social issues. Their work is important and it is making its mark in Fiji and the wider Pacific region. Possibly one of the most extraordinary aspects of PICISOC is that it is mostly led by women.
Pacific women in STEM
Women and girls are increasingly pursuing education and careers related to computer science, software engineering, and information systems. The PICISOC team is diverse and consists of women from the Pacific region. Selu Kauvaka oversees projects in Tonga, Cherie Lagakali, Georgina Naigulevu, and Oliana Nayago are a part of the Fijian team, and PICISOC’s president Letitia Masaea leads projects in the Solomon Islands. These women work together to bring their vision of a more connected Pacific region to life. Most recently, this team of women hosted the first-ever Pacific Hackathon.
The Pacific Hackathon
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) supported PICISOC in hosting the first-ever Pacific Hackathon. The objective of the Pacific Hackathon was to find digital solutions to social and societal problems that can be shared nationally in countries and regionally throughout the Pacific.
Approximately 120 participants joined the event virtually. There were 18 project submissions from teams in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. In Fiji, the event, at the University of the South Pacific’s campus, became a community engagement program for homeless and disadvantaged youths who attended the event with the Ahava Project. Their involvement in the event taught these youths about software engineering, coding, and how to approach social issues with a technical solution. PICISOC’s women leaders gave these youths an important educational opportunity they wouldn’t have had.
How can hackathons help Pacific communities?
A hackathon is an event where programmers, software engineers, self-taught coders, and computer scientists meet to collaborate on a project for a brief duration of time. Hackathons are competitions and pose challenges for their participants to solve. The participants build prototypes such as websites and mobile apps. The Pacific Hackathon gave participants an opportunity to learn about widespread Pacific issues and brainstorm technological solutions with the help of mentors and guest speakers to guide their work.
The Pacific Hackathon did not focus solely on participants who are involved in STEM. Many of the participants in Fiji were connected to social work and had backgrounds in non-technical fields. This did not deter them from working under the guidance of professionals in tech to develop their ideas and prototypes. Hackathons give Pacific Islanders a better understanding of how technology can shape the future of our region.
What projects is PICISOC planning for the future?
The team behind PICISOC’s success has expressed their determined interest in hosting more hackathons in different countries across the Pacific region in the foreseeable future. This year’s winners are from Samoa. There is immense potential for the growth of hackathons under the steady leadership of Pacific women. To find out more about PICISOC, visit their website and follow their Facebook and Twitter pages.