In 2007 Jon “maddog” Hall, the President of Linux International, was asked by a university student how they could make money with Free Software.
At about the same time, maddog became aware of the fact that many state and federal universities in Latin America, Europe and Asia were free of tuition for qualified students
However 40% of these qualified students could not take advantage of this free education because the student’s family was too poor to afford the “incidental costs” of supporting the students, who often took jobs in fast-food restaurants or acting as night clerks in hotels…not what they were studying in university.
Maddog then began to formulate a project where students could provide local sales and support, and pocket the profits in their own pocket. Using cooperative work with other students they could be their own boss of their own business.
He named this Project Cauã, after his Brazilan godson.
