WordCamp Jinja 2024, held from Thursday, 5th September to Friday, 6th September 2024, was a vibrant celebration of WordPress and an unforgettable experience for all who attended. This year’s event drew about 200 participants to The Innovation Village in Jinja our main host venue and Macedonian Vocational School, including developers, designers, students, teachers, bloggers, and WordPress enthusiasts from Uganda, East Africa, and beyond. The event’s theme, Unleashing Creativity with WordPress on the Nile, perfectly encapsulated the spirit of creativity, collaboration, and innovation that filled the air over the two days.
The main sessions were packed with engaging talks, interactive workshops, and panels. We were privileged to host an impressive diverse lineup of speakers mainly from Uganda, but also Spain, USA, Germany, Nigeria, Cameroon and other countries, who shared their insights and experiences on a wide range of topics. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about everything from website design and development to content creation, SEO, and web security. The event also featured a hackathon track, where participants honed their skills in a hands-on environment, fostering both learning and teamwork.
In addition to the main event at The Innovation Village, a parallel youth skills training in WordPress took place at Macedonian Vocational School after which some students joined the main sessions at TIV Jinja. This special initiative, run in partnership with the Rotary Club of Jinja City and ICT4Education, provided local youth with essential web design and development skills, preparing them for future careers in the tech industry.
The event concluded on Friday with a Contributor Day, where participants came together to give back to the WordPress open-source project. It was a day of community spirit and collaboration, reinforcing the strong sense of purpose that defines the WordPress community. And to top it all off, we hosted an exciting after-party near the Source of the Nile, offering a unique opportunity for attendees to network, relax, and enjoy the beauty of Jinja after two days of learning and inspiration.
We are incredibly grateful to our global sponsors without whom this WordCamp would have been impossible and our partners too in the local community, including Google Developer Groups Cloud and Jinja, Rotary Club of Jinja City, Sharebility, Xerus Media Group, Hello World Africa, Women Tech Makers Jinja, and other local tech communities, for making this year’s WordCamp Jinja a success. Their support, along with the enthusiasm and participation of all our attendees, made WordCamp Jinja 2024 a truly memorable event.
Here are some highlights from the event.
Google Photos Link
We look forward to welcoming you back next year for another exciting, educational and memorable WordCamp Jinja!