Many changes we deserve are happening in the world, not by mistake but by the efforts of our predecessors, both living and resting. In the year 2007, the first ever international young statisticians conference took place in  Pretoria, the capital city of the Republic of South Africa (ref. to my earlier article). At the conference, Uganda was second most populous in representation with over thirty participants only next to the hosts, the republic of South African (nothing to do with its known high fertility rates)!

Plans were hatched and thanks to the Almighty, a declaration was made that Africa will host another first ever International Statistics Institute conference on the African continent at one of the most beautiful city of Durban still in the Republic of South Africa. This 57th conference is slated to commence on the 16th till 22nd August, I mean this month, remember today is the 1st August, 2009. Never has this ever happened in Africa, note none of all the 56 conferences held before! Actually the president of ISI (www.isi.cbs.nl) in her closing remarks of the International Young Statisticians conference wondered the level at which Young African Statisticians really displayed statistics during the presentations of their papers, remember stochastic model of statistical displays!! Actually, none of them thought there was going to be any significant methodological and applicable statistics at the conference, but alas, they got convinced and decided that we now host the ISI-2009 at Durban city port! For conference details, go to www.statssa.gov.za/isi2009.  So let’s fold our sleeves, unbutton our shirts and fold our trousers to get ready not only to attend, but to participate fully at the first ever International Conference in South Africa. Whether, it means walking, we will because yes, yes we can, go anywhere on our continent!

Other first ever cases include: first ever black US president, first ever woman ISI president, first ever woman ISAE Director, first ever Math Makerere University VC,…. to mention, but a few!!