Dear All, 

We had a great Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016 in terms of the FOSS and Wikipedia Information Desk. We had more than 20 volunteers, who did a wonderful job sharing about the Wikipedia and Nepali Wikipedia. This event of the Wiki-Wistar (Wikipedia Outreach) at Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016 was very well accepted by the general visitors and their queries for their possible contribution in Nepali and other Wikipedia in time to come about Wikipedia. I hope there will be good rise is number of visitors and possibly turning them to contributors for creating the main source knowledge and freedom: Wikipedia. 

If I re-collect their experience, during this 6 days full time program, they echoed that they have talked to at more than 25,000 visitors (Yes more than 25K individual visitors) about the Wikipedia in general and Nepali Wikipedia in particular. The total number of visitors in this year Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016 had crossed 350,000 (350K), even though we were facing issue of blockade and after-earthquake issues.  

This year, we had a very cute stall, just at the front face of the main entrance of the Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016, it was highly instrumental in reaching them with sharing about Wikipedia assisted with the Nepali Wikipedia broaches, Wikipedia cheat-sheet  and Book Marks apart from sharing the Wikipedia Education curriculum and other Wiki-books which were put on display. 

One of the thing that we felt in these outreach was that, if we could share the offline wiki content in Nepali and other languages would be great. Those who might be taking lead in the coming year's such kind of mass public outreach, please do consider it as one of our learning from this years Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016.  Make a good copy of offline Wiki-contents ready for copying in pendrive or prepared in DvDs. 

Thanks to all the volunteers who share the FOSS and Wikipedia Information Desk at the Subisu CAN InfoTech 2016. 

With kind regards, 

Hempal Shrestha
Chairperson: R&D Committee | Executive Member: CAN Federation
G.P.O Box: 5501 | Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact: +977-1-4261459 (Off)
Cell: +977-9851077031 | +977-9808166400

On Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 1:33 PM, Ganesh Paudel <gpaudel@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Hempalji,
Great to hear that we are having continuation of our volunteer efforts for mass outreach. My thumbs up to volunteers serving information about Wikipedia from the FOSS stall in CAN Infotech 2016. I'm sorry to inform that I will be unable to participate because currently I am out of valley.

With best regards
Ganesh

On Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 6:37 PM, Mahalaxmi Silwal <malulaxmi7@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Hempal jee
It is wonderful.
Regards malu

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 28, 2016, at 3:28 AM, Hempal Shrestha <hempalshrestha@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear All, 

As most of you might be aware, CAN InfoTech 2016 is at your doorsteps for this week and next week. This year we are expecting 400,000 (Four hundred thousand) visitors to visit CAN InfoTech 2016. 

Few Nepali Wikipedia volunteers like Srijan and his team from Islington College had been following up with me with their keen interest to volunteer in sharing information, skill and motivation on Wikipedia, Nepali Wikipedia, and how they can become a contributor to the Wikipedia. 

In this regard, I am thankful to CAN Federation, for allocating a stall/desk for FOSS Nepal Community, where we will have many of the Free and Open Source enthusiast / volunteers will sharing this space to raise awareness among the visitors about Open Development Ecosystem worldwide and in Nepal. In this same space, I have requested Srijan and other Wikipedia volunteers to plan for showcase information about the Nepali Wikipedia and how these visitors can become a contributors. 

Hence, I will be requesting for a generous support of the Nepali Wikipedians in this forum to help these volunteers as per your expertise and time suitably in upcoming CAN InfoTech 2016 from January 29-February 03, 2016. Further, with all  your kind consent, I will be releasing 500-1000 pieces of Nepali Wikpedia broucher, book Mark, and Wikipedia Cheat Sheet, that we had printed more than a year back with support from Wikimedia Foundation Grant. Please do share if someone wants to assist in this responsibility as well. 

As, I myself am in the organizing committee of the CAN InfoTech 2016 and CAN ICT Conference 2016, I will myself be unable to stay in the this information desk as well as support the day to day requirement for these volunteers. To support these volunteers, FOSS volunteers will be raising funds from their own efforts, but all your support would be greatly helpful.

Further, please do share if anyone has any other ideas about making this activity more productive.

With kind regards, 

Hempal Shrestha
Chairperson: R&D Committee | Executive Member: CAN Federation
G.P.O Box: 5501 | Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact: +977-1-4261459 (Off)