Have you heard about YH4F? 2024 participant shares her journey and tips for success!
The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is officially underway. While this edition’s
participants work on their own Free Software projects, we sat down with
Aya, a YH4F 2024 contestant. She shared her inspiring journey
from her first programming experience to creating a project for YH4F. Learn more about her story, and remember: you
can still take part in this year’s competition!
Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F),organized by the Free Software Foundation Europe
(FSFE), is a unique programming competition that
encourages young people to develop innovative technical projects under
one key principle: the project must be Free Software. But YH4F is more than just a contest: it’s a
platform for young talent to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact
on their communities.
2025 YH4F are already busy working on their projects and networking
with other participants, and meanwhile we like to catch up with past
participants to find out what inspired them to take part in this young
programming competition and to learn more their projects. This time we
spoke to Aya, who told us how she learnt programming and ended up creating a tool to help people with
disabilities. Her project aims to improve the daily lives of visually
impaired people e and demonstrates the power of technology to create
positive change.
FSFE: Hi Aya! First of all, congratulations on your
participation in last year’s edition of YH4F! Can you present yourself
briefly?
Aya: Hi, my name is Aya. I’m 19 years old and
currently living in Barcelona, Spain. Some of my hobbies are karate and
chess.
FSFE: What was your first experience with
programming, and how did you start learning to write code? Was it with
Free Software?
Aya: My first experience with programming was back
in high school when I worked, with a team on a personal project . It was
an exciting challenge. That experience sparked my interest in
programming, and I began to enjoy the subject more and more. We couldn’t
have completed the project without the Free Software tools available at
the time, which played a crucial role in our success.
FSFE: Can you remember when you first used Free
Software? Were you, at that time, aware of the freedoms that Free
Software offers?
Aya: Initially, I didn’t have much experience with
Free Software or fully understand its significance. It wasn’t until I
started working on my own projects that I realised how powerful and
essential Free Software is for programmers of all skill levels. It gives
us the freedom to explore, learn, and create without barriers.
FSFE: How and why did you decide to join YH4F? What
did you like the most about the contest?
Aya: A friend’s mother told me about YH4F, knowing
that I enjoy challenges and contests like this. I joined without
hesitation, and it was an incredible experience. My favourite part was
how much my skills improved in such a short time, thanks to the
deadlines that pushed me to stay focused. I also really enjoyed meeting
new people during the monthly calls.
FSFE: How did you come up with your project idea?
What motivated you to work on it?
Aya: I wanted to demonstrate that today’s
technological advancements can significantly improve the lives of people
with disabilities, such as blindness. This motivation drove me to create
something practical and impactful.
FSFE: What were the main problems or challenges that
you encountered during the programming period?
Aya: One of the biggest challenges was finding
suitable free libraries for implementing both text-to-speech and optical
character recognition (OCR) functionalities. Many of the options I found
were either limited in features, required paid subscriptions, or were
incompatible with my tools. To overcome this, I spent a lot of time
researching Free Software solutions and testing different options until
I found the right fit.
FSFE:Did you work on it alone?
Aya: Yes, I worked on the project entirely on my
own.
FSFE: This project involves both software and
mechanical components. What were the key challenges in making sure the
software and hardware worked together?
Aya: One of the key challenges was ensuring that the
audio and camera drivers were functioning correctly. It took a lot of
trial and error, along with watching many YouTube tutorials, to figure
out how to get them to work seamlessly.
FSFE: Do you think you will continue working on your
project? What would be some next steps you would like to carry out?
Aya: Yes, I plan to continue working on it. My next
goal is to make the project more portable. To achieve this, I’m
considering running it on a microprocessor like a Raspberry Pi or a
similar hardware.
FSFE: Are you planning to improve the documentation
so more people can reuse your project
Aya: For now, I’m not focused on the documentation,
but it’s something I might prioritise in the future.
FSFE: How has participating in YH4F and working on
these projects affected you personally? What have you learned about
yourself through this experience?
Aya: Participating in YH4F has been a transformative
experience for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me
discover that I’m capable of overcoming challenges with creativity and
determination. It also reinforced my passion for using technology to
solve real-world problems and inspired me to continue improving my
skills to make a meaningful impact.
FSFE: And last but not least, is there any kind of
advice that you would like to give to new participants?
Aya: Don’t leave anything for the last minute!
Proper planning and time management are crucial to making the most of
this experience. And most importantly, enjoy the process!
Join YH4F This Year!
The 2025 edition of Youth Hacking 4
Freedom started on 1 January, with the programming phase now in fullswing.
Late registration is still possible, and we recommend registering as soon as
possible to connect with other participants and make the most of this
incredible opportunity. Visit the YH4F
website for more details or reach out to the organizers via email.
Support FSFE
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