Milestone: Offline Pop-Up & Final Report (Adjusted to Virtual Format)

Timeline: 1 Week

Submitted by: MetaConnect Uganda Team

1. Background & Original Objective

Milestone 2 was designed to further our mission of activating and supporting African creators in the metaverse through hands-on learning and community engagement. The original plan entailed hosting a 3-day physical mini pop-up session in Uganda for 10–20 emerging creators, developers, and students. The goal was to create a dynamic, in-person space for:

• Introduction to The Sandbox metaverse
• Digital art experimentation using VoxEdit and Game Maker
• Networking and community building
• Discussions on how digital tools can preserve African culture

However, during pre-event outreach and participant interviews, we discovered that interested creators were widely distributed across the country — from Kampala to Gulu, Jinja, and other regions. Travel costs, timing, and accessibility posed barriers for many of them.

In response, we made a strategic decision to pivot to a fully virtual format using Google Meet. This shift allowed us to stay aligned with our goals while ensuring greater inclusivity and accessibility.

1. Virtual Meetup Execution

Event Summary

• Platform: Google Meet
• Recorded videos:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Hwgr64Pc8qq4m-zhWJd4vc21jHFI93E/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16SwW8Wb9vjQh0DMJSU4hMgJSxuvWszYQ/view?usp=drive_link