Global Code takes volunteers to West Africa for three weeks every July, to teach students at universities how to be software engineers.
We are a charity registered in the UK, number 1176504
Computing is a very modern pursuit and Nigeria and Ghana are very conservative countries. We need to be mindful of the fact that attitudes towards gender, sexuality and age amongst our students and our hosts at universities may be different to ours. We ought to be respectful of social mores and avoid causing offense or hurt.
At the same time, we should stand for what we believe is right, press for positive social change, engage in positive encouragement and set a good example of behaviour for students who are learning to follow our craft.
We absolutely have a mandate and a responsibility to discuss issues of diversity, respect, tolerance and collaboration in IT whilst the program is running.
To that end, we’ve asked all our students to read and agree to the latest version of the Contributor Covenant, a document which describes expected standards of behaviour for people working on open source projects. In and outside of the classroom, we’re all expected to abide by - and promote - both its letter and its spirit.
We ask you to read and agree to it also:
https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/1/4/code-of-conduct.html
Out of the classroom, we’re representing ourselves, our country, Global Code, and our employees and sponsors. Please keep this in mind when you’re enjoying a drink at the end of a long day, heading out of town for the weekend, or in the lounge on the way home.
Finally, recent media reports have highlighted instances of extremely questionable behaviour concerning charity workers and prostitutes in developing countries. Behaviour of this kind is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Any reports of such behaviour, or anything similar, will be investigated immediately and may be reported directly to the authorities both locally and in the UK.
West Africa is a beautiful, interesting, fun part of the world and we're so pleased that you’re joining us. Excellent behaviour on your part gives us the credibility and goodwill we need to carry on this good work and to grow every year.