How can open source tools empower young developers to reimagine healthcare in their local communities? The Code4Health Hackathon set out to explore exactly that: From 14–18 May 2025, high school students from across Southern Africa came together online for this event organised by the Girls Coding Academy in partnership with the Eclipse Foundation. Open exclusively to high schoolers working in teams of three, the hackathon required participants to use the Eclipse IDE or Theia IDE to design innovative solutions that promote health and well-being.
Despite this being a remote event — and for many, their first hackathon experience — the students brought a remarkable level of enthusiasm and focus. Across the 18 teams and 35 participants, there was an even split in the use of development tools, with roughly half opting for Eclipse IDE and the other half choosing Theia IDE. This balanced adoption is a testament to the accessibility and appeal of both platforms.
A Mission to “Innovate for Wellness”
The Code4Health Hackathon was created with an ambitious goal: to demonstrate how young people, equipped with the right tools and mentorship, can build meaningful solutions to healthcare challenges in their local contexts. It was also a powerful showcase of how open source technologies like Eclipse IDE and Theia IDE can serve as gateways into tech for students from underrepresented regions.
The initiative was closely tied to the efforts of the Girls Coding Academy, a grassroots organisation committed to equipping younger generations in Lesotho and beyond with the skills to thrive in tech. Their work is documented in more detail here.
Participation and Format
Over five days, 35 students formed 18 teams to take on the Code4Health challenge. Despite the remote format, coordination went smoothly. Teams were given dedicated time to brainstorm, build, and prepare a demo of their solution.
Mentorship was central to the event’s structure, guiding teams from idea to implementation. A panel of judges then evaluated the final submissions based on five criteria:
- Innovation
- Technical Execution
- Relevance to Healthy Living
- Eclipse Tools (Eclipse IDE or Theia IDE) / UX & Accessibility
- Presentation & Clarity
Solutions Presented by the Students
The most common solution themes implemented by participants included:
- Digital health and healthcare applications
- Location of healthcare facilities
- Online appointment booking
- Symptom analysis
- Technical features
- User interfaces
- Booking systems
- Emergency/location services
- Geolocation of clinics/hospitals
Many solutions tackled problems directly relevant to the participants' communities, proving that the best innovations are often locally inspired.
You can find the winning teams announced in this LinkedIn post by Girls Coding Academy.
The first prize winners, team “Innovative Minds”, were three 18-year-old high school students – Mpho Moeketsi, Kananelo Maboee, and Lehlohonolo Ntlhakana. After the hackathon, they shared what they enjoyed most about the experience: it gave them the opportunity to explore modern technologies like AI while collaborating as a team. When asked whether they enjoyed the event and would participate in another one, they all responded with enthusiastic affirmation.
Although the hackathon was held remotely, the three teammates were able to meet on-site and were mentored by Letsapo Bokang and Mpho Lekunye, two college students studying Information Technology. Mpho reflected on the experience, noting that despite limited resources, mentoring the students was deeply rewarding — especially due to the strong spirit of teamwork. “If we work together, we can achieve anything,” she said. “The hackathon opens doors, makes you think out of the box, and gives you the chance to network with people from the same industry.”
She also remarked that both participants and mentors gained valuable insights into the Eclipse ecosystem — not only the technology itself, but also the community around it.
When asked how she would encourage more women to take part in hackathons and consider careers in IT, Mpho responded: “There are lots of opportunities for women in this industry. Many don’t pursue it because they think it’s male-dominated and worry they won’t fit in. Yes, it can be challenging at times, but that doesn’t mean we, as women, can’t succeed. It’s a fun place to be.”
Behind the Screens: A Judge’s Learnings
For me as a hackathon judge, the event was both inspiring and eye-opening. Even through a screen, you could feel how motivated the teams were. Judging was challenging, but also rewarding, especially when we saw how deeply the participants cared about solving problems that matter in their communities.
What stood out most? The clarity of purpose, technical confidence, and the creative integration of AI tools, which students recognised as both a catalyst and a challenge. Time constraints and demo hiccups made judging difficult at times, but the jury aligned well around impact, originality, and execution.
I learned how important it is to meet developers where they are — especially young, first-time contributors from underrepresented regions. Open source isn’t just about code — it’s about community, learning, and empowerment.
The projects themselves reflected a deep connection to real-world challenges. Teams proposed socially impactful solutions, such as platforms to help residents locate the best nearby doctors or tools to direct individuals in urgent need to the closest healthcare facility. These ideas were grounded in the everyday needs of the students' own communities, which made the innovations all the more powerful.
For many participants, this hackathon also marked their first hands-on experience with open source development tools. They began to understand the broader ecosystem behind the Eclipse IDE and Theia. The hope is that this exposure will inspire some to move from users to future contributors in the open source world, including projects like Eclipse, Theia, and the emerging Theia AI.
As expected in a modern coding sprint, AI played a prominent role throughout the hackathon. Participants leaned into AI tools to accelerate development, prototype ideas faster, and enhance their applications, demonstrating how powerful these technologies can be, especially when time is limited and creativity is key.
Why Eclipse IDE and Theia IDE?
These open source tools provided the perfect foundation for the hackathon:
- Accessible & lightweight for students across regions
- Powerful enough to build functional, real-world solutions
- Flexible, supporting a range of workflows and hardware limitations
- Cost-neutral and community-supported, reinforcing the open source ethos
Whether working in Eclipse IDE or Theia IDE, students got to experience developer tools used by professionals.
Growing the Open Source Movement in the Global South
This hackathon was more than just a competition. It was a call to action — a demonstration of how young innovators from underserved areas can shape the future of tech and healthcare with the right tools and support.
To build on this momentum, we need to:
- Support grassroots organisations like Girls Coding Academy
- Simplify access to open source tools and documentation
- Promote mentorship and highlight local success stories
- Lower barriers for contribution to open source projects
Want to Get Involved?
- Explore the winning teams
- Eclipse IDE
- Try Theia IDE
- Explore Theia AI
- Learn more about the Girls Coding Academy
Let’s continue to build a more inclusive, inspired open source future — one hackathon at a time.
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