Bahmni is an intuitive, open-source Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and hospital management system specifically designed for use in remote areas. Its adoption in various health posts and hospitals across rural Nepal has already significantly improved healthcare delivery. However, during a recent community visit, we identified a critical issue: the language barrier. Due to this, a dedicated IT officer had to be stationed solely to operate Bahmni, which hindered the efficient use of the system by local health workers.

To address this issue, the Kathmandu University Open Source Community (KUOSC), in collaboration with the Health Informatics community of Kathmandu University Computer Club (KUCC), initiated a localization sprint for Bahmni. Our goal was to translate the interface into Nepali, empowering healthcare professionals to directly and more effectively use the software.

Day 1: Introduction to Software Localization​

The Kathmandu University Open Source Community, together with the KUCC Health Informatics community, kicked off the localization sprint on May 16th, 2024, with an event titled "Introduction to Software Localization." This session was attended by approximately 50 participants, and it underscored the significance of software localization in improving healthcare access.

The event began with an introduction by Ashwini Subedi, the event lead. This was followed by insightful talks from Dr. Bal Krishna Bal, an expert in Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Mr. Saroj Dhakal, a seasoned localization professional. The speakers highlighted the best practices in localization, the role of machine translation, and the impact of localization on language preservation. Mr. Dhakal then conducted a hands-on session that provided practical training on localizing Bahmni.

This session was pivotal in raising awareness about localization and setting the stage for our week-long sprint. Attendees gained both theoretical and practical insights, leaving them equipped and motivated to contribute to this meaningful project.

Day 2: Exploring Bahmni​

On June 1st 2024, we organized a virtual session titled “Exploring Bahmni” with Dr. Akhil Malhotra and Mr. Sanjay Paudel from NepalEHR. NepalEHR integrates hospital-based (Bahmni), community-based (Commcare), and data visualization (DHIS2) tools to meet Nepal’s healthcare system needs.

During the session, our guests shared invaluable insights into the origins of Bahmni, its current applications, and future plans. They also emphasized how localizing the software would make it more accessible for the primarily Nepali-speaking demographic, especially in rural regions where healthcare services are most needed.

This deep dive into Bahmni gave us a clearer understanding of the software we were working to localize, reinforcing the importance of our efforts to make healthcare more accessible and efficient.

Localization and Review Sessions​

Throughout the week, volunteers diligently contributed their translations, making steady progress. Every weekend, we conducted review sessions via Google Meet with Mr. Saroj Dhakal, our mentor and reviewer, to refine and review the translated strings. His expertise was crucial in ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the translations.

Contribution Leaderboard​

Here are the top contributors to the Bahmni Localization Sprint:

Their dedication has been pivotal in bringing Bahmni closer to becoming a fully localized healthcare tool for Nepal.

Conclusion​

The Bahmni Localization Sprint marks an important step in enhancing healthcare accessibility in rural Nepal. By localizing Bahmni into Nepali, we are enabling local healthcare workers to use this powerful tool without facing language barriers, thus improving efficiency and care delivery.

We are deeply thankful to the Bahmni Coalition for permitting us to undertake this project, the NEEM Project for their generous support, and all our collaborators for their continued guidance. Together, we are making a lasting impact on healthcare in underserved regions of Nepal, and we look forward to continuing our efforts in the open-source community.

On August 09, 2024; us here at Kathmandu University Open Source Community celebrated OpenStreetMap day.

What is OSM?​

Founded by Steve Coast in 2004, OpenStreetMap(OSM) is a collaborative, open-source mapping project with its aim being to a free and editable map of the world.
And no, it's not same as Google Maps, while Google Maps is proprietary and focuses more on providing polished user interface but limited access to raw data, OSM provides full access to it's underlying geographical data.
Which makes it a goto choice for developers interested in customizable mapping solutions.

Why was OSM founded?​

Like many other open-source projects, the OSM was founded in response to the lack of liberty.
The project was largely motivated by the restrictive policies of national mapping agencies like the Ordnance Survey, which did not release their data for public use.

Peeking into its history, after the project started in 2004, the OpenStreetMap Foundation was established in 2006 to support the project's growth and manage its operations.
This nonprofit organization promotes the distribution and development of free geospatial data.

Likewise, in 2007, OSM hosted its first annual conference, "State of the Map," in Manchester, further strengthened its community and outreach efforts. By this time, OSM had grown to over 9,000 registered users.
To date, OSM has millions of users around the world.

The event​

Moving toward the event, the speaker for the day was Mr.Suraj Thapa.
He shared his previous experiences and his ideologies toward the OSM project. In addition, he also shared problems that could be solved using OSM, he gave examples of: Disaster and Climate Resilience, Humanitarian Mapping, etc.
We learned about the impact of the OSM community.

We progressed toward the end of the event by sharing our experiences with OSM or open-source in general, and ended the event by cutting the cake brought especially for this day.

Resoucres:​

• Slides presented on the event here.

On July 16th, GNOME Nepal, in collaboration with the Kathmandu University Open Source Community (KUOSC), organized an event titled “Problem-Solving and Linux Customization with GNOME” at St. Xavier's College, Maitighar. The event brought together students eager to learn more about Linux and open-source technologies.

The session began with a brief yet insightful introduction to open source, explaining its significance in today’s technology landscape. The speakers emphasized the value of community collaboration in building and improving software, highlighting the real-world impact of open-source projects on innovation and development.

This was followed by an introduction to Linux and its file systems, providing attendees with a foundational understanding of how the operating system works under the hood. The presenters then moved on to a live demonstration of the GNOME desktop environment on Linux, showcasing how easily GNOME can be customized to fit different user preferences. From tweaking the appearance to enhancing system workflows, attendees were shown practical steps to make Linux more personal and efficient.

One of the highlights of the event was the interactive discussion session, where participants engaged in open conversations to better understand the concept of open source. The event concluded with a sense of excitement and curiosity. Participants left with a stronger grasp of Linux customization, the power of GNOME, and the broader open-source movement. For many, it was an eye-opening experience that encouraged further exploration into how open-source technologies can be integrated into their daily lives.

In partnership with KUOSC, GNOME Nepal successfully created a platform for learning and collaboration, underscoring the importance of community-driven technology. The event provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to enhance their technical skills while also cultivating a deeper appreciation for open-source.

Linux Bootcamp​

Day 1: Linux Introduction and Installations​

May-13-2024

Day 2: Essential Commands, Installing Applications, Learning About Processes​

May-14-2024

Day 3: The final showdown: VIM​

May-15-2024

Vim Workshop​

This was the last day of the bootcamp, and the vim-lord (Rajat) himself single-handedly handled this event, everything from presenting to creating resources. This was by far the most interesting and wonderful session that I had ever been into, even better than the one I had done in the past. Rajat not only explained vim, but created an interactive workshop where people attending would follow him in a way that's constructive. Me, and Shriharsh were volunteering and we could see the interactive-ness of the people who were intruiged into learning vim. The session taught almost all the basic commands required to efficiently edit text in Vim, and some advanced motions as well.

Kahoot session​

The end of the workshop was done by commencing a Kahoot session, where questions were asked about the different commands and the participants answered the questions on their device. This was a session filled with joy, and enthusiasm from the people who participated. I was happy to know that the winner were the people who were newcomers to Linux. Moreover, the winner got stickers and chocolates, which were a motivating factor. And by the end of this very session, the entire linux bootcamp was ended.

Acknowledgement​

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Abhiyan Dhakal, Nirjal Bhurten, and Sugat Sujakhu for providing this wonderful opportunity to orgnize and tutor Linux Bootcamp. Moreover, I would like to thank my friends: Shriharsh Acharya, and Rajat Dahal on collaborating to create this project a massive success.

Pizza and OS Talk​

Neplib Linux​

This is an Operating System project that KUOSC has been working on to provide to the schools of rural areas, where there hardly is infrastructure of internet. This system bundled content from Help Nepal Network for providing materials to primary and seconday level students. In addition this operating system also provides a telementry side for monitoring the computer systems deployed and maintaining them. The main objective of this project was to provide a user-friendly interfacd, specifically designed for beginners who may not have used a computer before. The operating system project intends to update and upgrade the previously built software, bringing a fresh content to E-library deployed in remote Nepali regions.

OS for Lab​

The OS for Lab project is something that aims to provide a operating system, that is to be implemented in computer labs of high-schools in order to have interactions within the same network: sharing files for assignment, and lab works. This OS project uses Cisco for netorking and databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL to serve the content and create a database. Although this project was initially thought to be made for Kathmandu University, implementing in other schools and colleges seem to be a good idea, rather than confining it within the walls of the college.

After discussing, I was truly impressed, and contributed ideas of my own in the talk as well. Then came the fun part: PIZZAS. We all started to take a slice and had our conversation topic diverged from operating systems to programming languages to web and application buildings. I personally thank Mr. Pranish Kafle for providing me with insight of the significance of Java and Kotlin programming language. Then came the second round of PIZZAS, we all took our slices and started to continue the conversation, which at-last made sure that no one was there for only the pizzas, but the knowledge as well.

Linux Talk: Unveiling the Power of Open Source​

On April 19th, Linux talk a yearly event hosted by KUCC and KUOSC was held that offered an exploration of open-source software. The session went into a discussion of the collaborative nature of open-source development, where source code is freely available for contribution.The Linux talk was accompanied by the inauguration of GNOME Nepal.

This ceremony promises to be a valuable resource for enthusiasts of the GNOME desktop environment, providing a platform for collaboration, learning, and promoting the adoption of open-source software in Nepal.

With that, the representative of GNOME Nepal, Aditya Singh shared his experience working with GNOME and his contributions to the GNOME Project, and how we could also help and interact with the community. A particularly engaging element of the event was a Kahoot session. It enthralled the participants and brought a spirit of competition within the peers.

After the Kahoot session, there was an interactive session with community members and heads of communities under KUCC, which was beneficial for new members of the club and community.

Volunteers from Kathmandu University Open Source Community (KUOSC) in collaboration with Help Nepal Network Nepal (HeNN) conducted a training session for children at Dhulikhel Children's Home. The session focused on equipping the children with essential computer skills and fostering responsible internet usage.

The training aimed to familiarize the children with their newly upgraded computer lab. Volunteers guided them on navigating educational websites like E-Paathsala, E-paath, Maths and Science Quiz, and Hamro Ramailo Kathaharu offered by OLE Nepal. These platforms provide access to a wealth of learning materials, enhancing the children's educational opportunities.

Furthermore, the volunteers emphasized internet safety, educating the children on responsible online behavior and navigating the digital world with caution.

Volunteers:

• Aadarsha Dhakal
• Ayush Paudel
• Jamyang Gelek Gurung

From HeNN Nepal:

• Merisha Kafle
• Anil Kumar Shrestha

This collaborative effort empowers the children at Dhulikhel Children's Home with valuable technological skills and fosters responsible digital citizenship, paving the way for a brighter future.

Introducing the New KUOSC Website: Unveiling a Hub of Open Source Activities!

The Kathmandu University Open Source Community (KUOSC) proudly presents its brand-new website! Loaded with features and insights, this platform is set to become the go-to destination for all things related to open source.

What's Inside:​

Project Showcase: Dive into the world of open source of KUOSC through detailed project descriptions.Our projects are here to inspire and engage.

Contributors Leaderboard: Recognizing the dedicated individuals behind our success. The leaderboard highlights top contributors and their valuable contributions.

Knowledge Base: Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, our knowledge base has something for you. Find tutorials, guides, and resources to enhance your skills.

Stay Updated: Keep track of all KUOSC activities and updates in one place. From events to announcements, you'll never miss a beat.

Join us on this exciting journey towards open source innovation. Explore the new KUOSC website today and unlock a world of collaboration and learning. Check it out now at website link!

Stay tuned for a remarkable open source experience brought to you by KUOSC!