WordCamp News

A Shoutout to Meahadi Hasan: From the Classroom to the Global WordPress Community

Posted by on November 6, 2026 with 2 replies

Learning becomes more meaningful when students get the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice. For Meahadi Hasan, WordPress Credits opened the door to opportunities beyond website development. He explored photography contributions, participated in community initiatives like Campus Connect, and contributed to Bengali translations through the Polyglots and Training Teams, becoming an active part of the global WordPress community.

Meahadi is a final-year Computer Science and Engineering student at Pundra University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh. He joined the WordPress Credits Program in August 2026 as part of his university’s Industrial Training (Internship) course. On 2 November 2026, he successfully completed the program, but his journey was about much more than earning a certificate.

Rediscovering WordPress and Exploring New Opportunities

Meahadi first encountered WordPress in 2020 through YouTube tutorials, where he learned to build a basic website. However, he didn’t continue working with it regularly.

Joining WordPress Credits gave him an opportunity to explore WordPress from a completely different perspective. He discovered that WordPress is not just a website-building platform; it is a global open-source community where people with different skills can contribute.

He chose four contribution teams that matched his interests: Photos, Polyglots, Community and Training.

66 Photographs and Contributions Beyond Development

One of Meahadi’s most remarkable achievements was his contribution to the WordPress Photo Directory.

He initially set a target of publishing 30 photographs. He went beyond that goal and successfully published 66 original CC0-licensed photographs, featuring nature, plants, landscapes, and everyday scenes from Bangladesh.

A Selection of Meahadi’s Photo Contributions

Fish
flower 2
flower one
Nature 2
Nature 3
Nature
brown land snail

Explore Meahadi’s Photo Directory contributions

His journey didn’t stop with photography. He also:

  • Contributed Bengali translation suggestions through the Polyglots Team.
  • Prepared a Bengali translation of the Learn WordPress lesson The WordPress Ecosystem, currently available for review.
  • Built his personal website at meahadi.blog
  • Participated in WordPress Slack, GitHub, and Make WordPress community discussions.

These experiences helped him understand how people with different skills collaborate to make WordPress better.

Achievements

60+

Photos published

WordPress Photo Directory

400+

String Translated

WordPress Polyglots Team

1

WordPress Lesson Translated

WordPress Training Team

1

Portfolio Created

WordPress.Com

Learning Through Mentorship and Community

Throughout the program, Meahadi received guidance from his assigned mentor, Rashed Hossain, who helped him navigate the learning process and contribution workflows.

Muhibul Haque also shared useful resources and advice, particularly around the Training Team.

Through practical assignments, documentation, community discussions, and real contributions, Meahadi developed confidence in WordPress, translation workflows, documentation, and communicating with contributors.

Looking back on his experience, he shared that he previously viewed WordPress mainly as a platform for building websites. Now, he understands the many opportunities available within its global community, even beyond writing code.

What’s Next?

Completing WordPress Credits is not the end of Meahadi’s journey.

He plans to continue contributing photographs, improve his Bengali translation skills, explore more Learn WordPress localization opportunities, and participate more actively in the WordPress community.

His advice to future students is simple: start with a contribution team that matches your interests, read the handbooks, ask questions, and focus on small, consistent contributions.

As he reminds us, the biggest value of WordPress Credits is not just completing a course; it’s becoming part of a community where your contributions can be genuinely useful.

Celebrating More Than Course Completion

Meahadi’s journey reflects what we hope to achieve through WordPress Credits: helping students move beyond theoretical learning, develop practical skills, discover their potential, and become active members of the global WordPress community.

His story shows that you don’t have to be a developer to make a meaningful contribution. Whether through photography, translation, community, or development, there is a place for everyone in WordPress.

Congratulations, Meahadi, on completing WordPress Credits and making your mark in the WordPress community. This is just the beginning! 🎉

Categories WordPress Credits, WordPress Education | 2 replies

WordCamp Sylhet 2026: No Swag, All Heart

Posted by on November 1, 2026 with 1 reply

What happens when you take the swag out of a WordCamp? You get more of what WordCamps were always about: people, ideas, and real conversations.

On October 2 and 3, 2026, the WordPress community gathered at the Central Auditorium of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) for WordCamp Sylhet 2026. This year the organizers made a bold call: no swag from the organizers and no swag from the sponsors. I was there for both days as an organizer, and it turned out to be one of the best WordCamp experiences I’ve had.

Third Time in the Tea Capital

WordCamp Sylhet first came to the city in May 2023 and returned in 2024. The 2026 edition was its third, back at the same SUST auditorium where it all started.

This time the organizing team chose a clear theme: back to basics. Their message from the very first announcement was “less show, more substance.” As WordCamps grow, the focus can drift toward production, merchandise, and presentation. Sylhet wanted to bring the spotlight back to knowledge, genuine conversations, and community connections.

What a Swag-Free WordCamp Feels Like

I’ll admit I was curious. Swag is part of the WordCamp ritual: the T-shirts, stickers, notebooks, and the queue at every booth. How would an event feel without it?

The answer: lighter, warmer, and more focused. Nobody was rushing from table to table collecting goodies. Instead, people stopped and talked. Hallway chats ran longer. Lunch tables turned into mini-meetups. Questions after sessions were sharper because people came for the content.

Swag bags get forgotten in a drawer. A five-minute conversation with the right person can turn into a client, a job, or a friendship. WordCamp Sylhet 2026 proved that the community itself is the best takeaway.

Day One: Contributor Day

October 2 was Contributor Day, and around 150 people sat down at the contributor tables to give back to WordPress. The work ranged from bug fixes in Core to new designs for the Patterns Team.

What I love about Contributor Day is that you don’t need to be a senior developer to take part. Whether you code, write, design, translate, or test, there is a table for you. For many first-timers, it was the day they made their first contribution to one of the world’s largest open-source projects, shoulder to shoulder with the people who build it.

Day Two: Conference Day and the Rise of AI

October 3 was Conference Day, packed with talks and panel discussions from morning to evening. With the swag gone, the sessions really were the heart of the event.

If one topic ran through the whole schedule, it was AI. A few sessions that stood out:

  • Panel: How AI Is Reshaping Modern Workflows. M Asif Rahman, MD Ershadur Rahman Talukder, and Shahjahan Jewel shared practical lessons on how AI is changing the way WordPress teams plan, build, and ship.
  • From Plugins to Agents. Nazmul Hasan Rupok explored how WordPress architecture is shifting as AI agents arrive, including using the WordPress Abilities API so any MCP client can use a plugin’s features.
  • Customer Support, Reimagined. Khan Rafin Ahmed showed how AI agents and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) help support teams do more.
  • Find It, Fix It, Prove It. Niluthpal Purkayastha talked about using AI to find and fix security holes in WordPress plugins.

The common message: AI isn’t replacing the WordPress community. It’s giving builders new tools, and Bangladesh’s developers are already putting them to work.

Sponsors Without Swag: Real Conversations at the Booths

No swag didn’t mean no sponsors. Companies still had booths in the expo area, and they still had a great chance to show what they’re building. The difference was the quality of the conversations.

Instead of handing out freebies, sponsor teams explained their products, heard feedback from users and met new people who were genuinely interested. Some booths ran friendly challenges and contests that broke the ice and started long chats.

For businesses, that’s arguably worth more than a thousand tote bags. And it matters for the community too: WordCamps are nonprofit and volunteer-run, and sponsorship keeps tickets affordable for students, freelancers and first-timers.

The Energy: A Community That Showed Up

The most crucial part of WordCamp Sylhet 2026 wasn’t on the schedule. It was the energy.

From the first Contributor Day table to the final session, the auditorium stayed full of enthusiasm. Students, developers, designers, freelancers, agency owners, and product teams came from across Bangladesh. Everyone was eager to learn, share, and connect, and you could feel it in every room and every hallway.

The green SUST campus, a short ride from Sylhet’s famous tea gardens, gave the whole event a calm and welcoming feel. It’s hard to imagine a better home for a community gathering.

Thank you, Sylhet.

Organizing a two-day event for a community this size is never easy, and no event runs perfectly. What stays with you is the effort and heart behind it, and there was plenty of both.

A huge thank you to the organizers and volunteers who made it happen, the speakers who shared their knowledge, the sponsors who supported the event and showed up for real conversations, and every attendee who brought their energy.

WordCamp Sylhet 2026 showed that you don’t need freebies to make an event memorable. You need people who care. Back to basics turned out to be exactly what we needed.

🙏 A big thank you to the sponsors of WordCamp Sylhet 2026!

WordCamp Sylhet 2026 brought together WordPress enthusiasts, developers, designers, and community members at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. It was possible because these organizations believed in our community and supported open source in Bangladesh.

💎 Platinum Sponsors
Automattic • Bluehost • FluentCart • FlyWP • Hostinger • Kirki • OneSuite • WooCommerce • xCloud

🥈 Silver Sponsors
Bit CRM • bPlugins

🥉 Bronze Sponsors
PaymentForm.io • SubscriptionPro • Timetics AI • WebAppick

Thanks also to our micro sponsors and to every organizer, volunteer, speaker, and attendee who helped make it happen. ❤️

See you at the next WordCamp!

Categories WordCamp Recap | 1 reply

WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University: Building Skills, Exploring Careers, and Inspiring the Next Generation

Posted by on October 30, 2026 with 3 replies

We’re excited to share that WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University, Dhaka, has successfully concluded! 🎉

Held on 25–26 October 2026, this two-day initiative brought students closer to WordPress, practical website development, career opportunities, and the growing role of open-source education.

Want to see more photos from WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University?

📸 Explore all the event photos here: Official Event Photos 📸

Day 1: From Ideas to Websites

On 25 October, we hosted a hands-on workshop where students explored WordPress by building their own websites. Together, we created 50 websites and WordPress.org profiles, giving students a starting point to continue learning, experimenting, and engaging with the global WordPress community.

The goal was not just to introduce a tool, but to help students take their first practical steps toward building something of their own.

Few websites created by our students:

  1. https://noyonhossain.blog/
  2. https://hurayra.art/
  3. https://www.golammonayem.com/
  4. https://tayenhossainshuvo.blog/
  5. https://ifatkhalilfahim.blog/
  6. https://r-if-a.blog/
  7. https://rafid.blog/
  8. https://sanjidaaktersuborna.blog/
  9. https://byapon.art/
  10. https://golammonayem.blog/
  11. https://belalhosenbadon.blog/

Day 2: Exploring Careers and WordPress Education

On 26 October, we shifted our focus to career guidance and educational opportunities. We discussed how students can develop practical skills, build a portfolio, contribute to open source, and explore career pathways in the WordPress ecosystem.

Through these conversations, we encouraged students to look beyond traditional academic learning and explore how real-world projects, community participation, and continuous learning can help them prepare for their future careers.

Exploring WordPress Credits: Connecting Education with Real-World Experience

An important part of the discussion was the WordPress Credits program, which offers universities an opportunity to connect academic learning with practical contributions to the WordPress open-source project.

We introduced the program as a potential pathway for students to go beyond learning WordPress and start contributing to a global project used by millions of people. Through structured learning, mentorship, and practical contribution opportunities, students can develop technical and collaborative skills while gaining experience in an international open-source community.

We were delighted by the university’s interest in this opportunity. Presidency University has already applied to join the WordPress Credits program, marking an encouraging step toward bringing WordPress education and contribution-based learning into its academic environment.

This is an exciting opportunity to explore how students can apply their classroom knowledge to real-world projects, collaborate with the global WordPress community, and build a stronger foundation for their professional journeys.

We hope this initial engagement will lead to further collaboration between the university and the WordPress community, creating more opportunities for students to learn, contribute, and grow.

Supported by the Global WordPress Community

This initiative was made possible with support from the global WordPress community and its sponsors, who continue to invest in education and the next generation of talent.

A special thank you to Kirki for joining as our Gold Sponsor and supporting this educational initiative. Your support helps create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, build, and explore their future in the digital world.

We’re also grateful to the university, our speakers, volunteers, and everyone who contributed their time and energy to make these two days meaningful.

Organisers and Speakers

The success of WordPress Campus Connect at Presidency University was made possible by the dedication and collaboration of our organizing team: Mostofa Kamal Sagor, Muhibul Haque, Nasim Miah, and Rashed Hossain.

Our speakers Nasim Miah, Nazmul Asif, Pranto Dev, Mostofa Kamal Sagor and Muhibul Haque shared valuable insights on WordPress, web design, career opportunities, NLP, and prompt engineering. Through practical guidance and engaging discussions, they helped students explore new skills, understand the evolving tech industry, and discover opportunities in the WordPress and AI era. A big thank you to all our speakers for sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation!

The journey continues. Let’s keep building opportunities for the next generation through WordPress education! 🚀

Categories Uncategorized | 3 replies

WordPress Campus Connect Ahmad Education, Dhaka 2026

Posted by on October 19, 2026 with 9 replies

The Truly Meaning moment in this event

Campus Connect Event Successfully Completed!

We are pleased to share that the Campus Connect event, held on Thursday, October 1st, was successfully completed with the participation of students from Ahmad’s Education.

Ahmad’s Education has already collaborated with WordPress and successfully completed two batches. This event was another valuable opportunity to strengthen our collaboration, share knowledge, and inspire students to explore new learning opportunities.

A heartfelt thanks to the WordPress team, the organizers, and all the students who contributed to making this event successful.
Looking forward to more collaborations and learning opportunities together!

Categories Campus Connect | 9 replies

WordCamp Jinja 2026 Recap: Three Tracks, Two Days and Creative Currents on the Nile

Posted by on October 15, 2026 with 8 replies

On 19th and 20th September 2026, the WordPress community gathered at Civil Service College Uganda, a venue close to River Nile, for the fifth edition of WordCamp Jinja. The event brought together more than 300 diverse participants across 2 days and 3 parallel tracks of sessions full of learning, collaboration and connection. In a city known for its flowing waters, creativity and ideas flowed too, as participants shared their experiences, explored new possibilities with WordPress and built relationships that would carry beyond the weekend.

Our theme, “Embrace Creative Currents on the Nile: Where Inclusivity Fuels Creativity,” reflected the mix of people and ideas in the room. Students sat alongside developers, designers, writers, educators, entrepreneurs and experienced WordPress contributors. Across three parallel tracks, everyone could find a way to learn, share or build.

Students and Creatives at the heart of WordCamp Jinja

Nearly half of this year’s participants were students. Their presence was felt throughout the event, from the speaker sessions to the labs and hackathon tables. We had students from primary schools, secondary schools and universities joining us for this year’s WordCamp.

Some came to explore WordPress for the first time. Others arrived with projects, questions and skills they wanted to develop. Sharing the same spaces with people already working in technology and creative fields gave them an opportunity to learn directly from practitioners and see where their own interests might lead.

One student in attendance found a creative way to remember his experience. Fascinated by the WordPress ecosystem, its generosity and inclusivity, he drew all the sponsor logos by hand so he could remember them after the event. His drawings became a personal record of the community he had encountered at WordCamp Jinja, a small but memorable expression of the curiosity WordCamp Jinja inspired.

Bringing young people into the community has been a continuing part of WordCamp Jinja’s work. Last year’s edition at Jinja Senior Secondary School brought the event closer to students; this year, their participation remained central even at a different venue. We hope the relationships formed over these two days continue at Jinja WordPress Meetups and in the projects students choose to pursue next.

Event highlights

Diverse Speaker Sessions

Our speakers brought different backgrounds and experiences to the stage. Sessions opened up conversations about WordPress and the wider web, including how people use technology to create, teach, solve problems and build livelihoods.

The value of these talks was in the experiences behind them. Speakers shared what they had learned through their own work, answered questions and gave attendees ideas to take back to their studies, organisations and businesses. Thank you to everyone who prepared a session and made the journey to Jinja to share it with us.

Charity Website Hackathon and Contributor Sessions

The Charity Website Hackathon returned as one of WordCamp Jinja’s most practical activities. Participants and facilitators worked together on WordPress projects for organisations seeking to establish or improve their online presence. The teams had to think about real needs: what information a visitor should find, how to organise it and how the organisation could keep its site useful after the event.

For newer participants, this was a chance to learn by working through a real project with support close at hand. For experienced developers and designers, it was a chance to mentor others and put their skills to work for the wider community. The work begun at the hackathon can continue beyond the conference as teams and organisations develop their websites further.

Contributor activities connected that local work to the wider WordPress project. Attendees explored the idea that contributing to open source goes beyond writing code: people can help through photography, translation, testing, documentation, training and community work. There were a lot of new contributors who were taken through the contribution journey by table leads. We hope that for those that took their first steps, WordCamp Jinja will be the beginning of a longer contribution journey.

Hands-on Labs

The Hands-on Labs offered a different pace from the speaker sessions. Instead of only listening, participants could practically follow a facilitator on state of the art computers, try something themselves and ask for help when they needed it.

That kind of guided practice matters, especially for people who are new to a tool or trying to turn an idea into something they can build. Thank you to the facilitators who prepared the activities and worked directly with participants, and to the volunteers who helped make the sessions run.

Memorable moments, connections and networking

Some of the weekend’s most useful moments happened away from the front of a room. Over lunch, in the corridors and between activities, attendees met people from other communities, exchanged ideas and caught up with friends they had met at earlier WordPress events.

For a student attending for the first time, a conversation with a developer or designer can make a possible career feel closer. For returning community members, it was a chance to meet new collaborators and hear perspectives they might otherwise miss. Those connections are part of what keeps WordCamp Jinja going after the closing session.

Celebrating at the Source of the Nile

The celebration continued at Source of the Nile for our after-party, where attendees, volunteers, speakers, facilitators, sponsors and organisers were welcomed to the Source of the Nile. Unbeknownst to them, there was a surprise awaiting: an after party aboard a double-decker boat. The boat ride took them on a tour of Lake Victoria and finally landed at the actual source of the Nile itself, where they learned about its history before taking time for photos together.

The Nile has been part of WordCamp Jinja’s identity across previous editions. This year, gathering there brought our theme back into focus: people with different skills and experiences had come together, learned from one another and added something to the community.

The people who made it possible

WordCamp Jinja is built by volunteers. Long before the doors opened, the organising team was working on the venue, programme, speakers, communications, sponsorships, registration and practical activities. During the event, volunteers welcomed attendees, supported speakers, guided participants and helped the different spaces run smoothly.

To our attendees, thank you for showing up ready to learn and share. To our speakers and facilitators, thank you for the time and care you put into your sessions. To the hackathon teams and contributors, thank you for building and giving back. And to every organiser and volunteer, thank you for the work people saw and the work they did not.

We are also grateful to our sponsors Jetpack, Hostinger, WordPress.com, Woo, Hosting.com, SEOPress and Infinity Computers and Communications Company (i3c) and to our continued local community partners for supporting an accessible gathering for people at different stages of their WordPress journey. Their support helped bring this fifth edition to life.

Relive the weekend and keep in touch


You can explore photographs from the event in our WordCamp Jinja 2026 photo album:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fd61HxxyNT8xK4Ni7

WordCamp may be over, but the learning continues. The Jinja WordPress Meetup will keep bringing people together to share skills, contribute to WordPress and build on the projects and relationships started here.

Thank you for embracing the creative currents with us. See you at the next WordPress Jinja event!

Categories Events, News, WordCamp Recap | Tags , , , , , | 8 replies

WordCamp Rajshahi 2026: Celebrating Community, Learning, and Open Source

Posted by on July 20, 2026 with 4 replies

WordCamp Rajshahi 2026, held on July 2nd-3rd, 2026, at the Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET) Auditorium, brought together WordPress enthusiasts, developers, designers, business owners, students, and open-source contributors from across Bangladesh and beyond. As a non-profit, community-driven conference, the event demonstrated the strength of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the spirit of open source.

More than just a technology conference, WordCamp Rajshahi became a place where people connected, exchanged ideas, and inspired one another to contribute to the future of WordPress.

Sharing Knowledge That Matters

The conference featured a diverse lineup of local and international speakers who shared practical experiences, real-world case studies, and emerging trends shaping the web today.

Artificial intelligence was one of the most discussed topics throughout the event. Sessions explored how AI is transforming the way developers and businesses work—from integrating AI into WordPress without writing code to building customer support agents, using modern Large Language Models (LLMs) for development, debugging applications, and improving everyday workflows.

Performance, architecture, and security also received significant attention. Speakers demonstrated advanced WordPress optimization techniques, object caching strategies, no-code animations using GSAP, methods for identifying system vulnerabilities, and practical approaches to cleaning malware-infected WordPress websites with AI.

Beyond technical sessions, the conference emphasized personal and professional growth. Attendees learned about building successful careers, transitioning from startups to multinational companies, product marketing, the realities of remote work, and maintaining mental well-being while working in the technology industry.

Contributor Day: Giving Back to WordPress

Contributor Day, held on July 2, served as one of the most meaningful parts of the event.

Participants worked alongside experienced WordPress contributors and Table Leads to improve the WordPress project itself. Whether they contributed to Core, Accessibility, Themes, Plugins, Polyglots (translations), Education, or Photos, attendees experienced firsthand how community collaboration built the global WordPress ecosystem.

For many first-time contributors, it was their first opportunity to make a direct contribution to one of the world’s largest open-source projects.

Campus Connect: Inspiring the Next Generation

One of the highlights of WordCamp Rajshahi 2026 was the Campus Connect initiative.

To encourage student participation in open source, 40 university students received complimentary tickets to attend the event. This initiative introduced young learners to the WordPress community, allowing them to interact with experienced professionals, attend technical sessions, and discover opportunities to contribute to open source.

By investing in students today, the community hopes to cultivate the next generation of developers, designers, and contributors who will help shape the future of WordPress.

Sponsors Who Made It Possible

WordCamp events are made possible through the generous support of organizations that believe in strengthening the open-source ecosystem. Rather than simply sponsoring an event, these companies invest in community growth and knowledge sharing.

This year, the sponsorship tiers celebrated Rajshahi’s famous mango heritage.

Fazli Majesty (Platinum Sponsors)

Himsagar Legacy (Gold Sponsor)

Amrapali Delight (Silver Sponsors)

Community Sponsors

Official Partners

  • FM Networks (Internet Partner)
  • TNR Soft (Payment Gateway Partner)

Their support enabled the community to deliver a world-class experience while keeping the event affordable and accessible.

Thank You to Everyone Behind the Scenes

An event of this scale is never the work of a single person.

Our sincere appreciation goes to every speaker and Contributor Day table lead who generously shared their knowledge and experience with the community.

We are equally grateful to our organizers and volunteers. From sponsorship coordination, website management, registration, design, photography, audiovisual production, venue operations, food management, and attendee support, every team member played a vital role in ensuring the event ran smoothly.

Their dedication transformed months of planning into an unforgettable experience for every attendee.

Looking Ahead

WordCamp Rajshahi 2026 demonstrated what is possible when passionate volunteers, contributors, sponsors, and community members work toward a common goal.

The event was more than a conference—it was a celebration of learning, collaboration, and the open-source values that make WordPress one of the world’s most successful communities.

As the community continues to grow, the relationships built, ideas shared, and contributions made during WordCamp Rajshahi 2026 will inspire future events and encourage even more people to participate in the global WordPress ecosystem.

Here’s to many more WordCamps, more contributors, and a stronger open-source community in Bangladesh and beyond.

Categories WordCamp Recap | 4 replies

Happy Birthday, WordPress

Posted by on May 27, 2026 with Comments are off for this post

Twenty-three years ago, a team of 2 friends released something into the world that they probably couldn’t have fully imagined the consequences of. Not just a publishing tool, though it became that for hundreds of millions of people but a reason to find each other.

WordPress just turned 23. And if you’re not yet part of this community, I want to tell you what you’re missing. It starts, usually, with a problem you need to solve. A website. A blog. A business that needs a home on the internet. You find WordPress, and it works, and you move on with your life. That’s how most stories begin here.

But then something else happens.

You find a forum thread where someone spent three hours helping a stranger debug a plugin for free. You find a WordCamp in your city and you show up mostly for the tote bag and the discount codes. You end up in a conversation over coffee with someone who has been building on WordPress since 2007, and they treat your questions like they’re worth answering. Because to them, they are.

That’s when the story changes.

WordCamps are where this community becomes visible in a way that’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t been. The person who wrote the code that quietly runs your website is sitting two seats away from someone who published their very first post this morning. A developer who has contributed thousands of hours to core is sharing a lunch table with a grandmother in Uganda who just launched her first online store.

No hierarchy. No velvet ropes. Just people who showed up.

You stay because someone grabs your arm at the end of a session and says, your plugin changed my business, and they mean it in a way that lands somewhere deep. You stay because the late nights and the loud rooms and the occasional quiet moment in a hallway conversation turn into something you didn’t expect: friendship. Partnership. For some of us, something that feels a lot like family.

This is what open source looks like when it actually works.

Not obligation. Not corporate mandate. Gratitude. People giving back because something was given to them first, freely, without condition, by people they may never meet. The whole thing runs on a kind of trust that shouldn’t work as well as it does, and yet here we are. Twenty-three years in. Still going.

On this birthday, I want to name some of the people and organizations who make this community what it is, who show up, contribute, advocate, and remind the rest of us why we’re here.

People wishing WordPress a happy birthday:

@thehopemonger, @stephendumba1, @noelinenandago, @adityakane, @ssebuwufumoses, @kiviiri, @unintended8 among others

And the companies whose work brings so many of us to WordPress in the first place:

Jetpack, WordPress.com, Woo, Hostinger, Bluehost, WooCommerce, Akismet, Gravatar, Automattic, Forth Focus, miniOrange, Elementor, Green Geeks among others

This list is not complete. It never could be.

The next WordCamp is coming. The late nights and the loud rooms and the quiet hallway moments are all waiting for you.

Don’t miss it.

Happy Birthday, WordPress. Let’s keep going—together.

#WordPressBirthday #WordPress #WordCamp #OpenSource #Community #Gratitude #Mukono #Kampala

Categories Events, General | Comments are off for this post

WordCamp Kampala 2026: Tech for Social Good in a Rapidly Evolving Digital World

Posted by on May 8, 2026 with Comments are off for this post

WordCamp Kampala 2026 returns as a gathering of the region’s WordPress community, bringing together developers, designers, content creators, entrepreneurs, educators, and tech enthusiasts for two days of learning, collaboration, and impact. Organized by the WordPress Kampala Meetup, this community-driven event continues to grow as a key platform for knowledge sharing and innovation within Uganda’s evolving digital landscape.

As part of the global WordCamp program, WordCamp Kampala is more than just a conference. It is a space where people come together to exchange ideas, build connections, and explore how WordPress and related tech can be used to solve real-world problems. Each year, the event is shaped by a theme that reflects both local needs and global trends. In 2026, that theme is “Tech for Social Good.”

This year’s theme speaks directly to the moment we are in. Technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with artificial intelligence transforming how websites are built, how content is created, and how digital products are managed. These rapid changes present both opportunities and challenges. For many in the WordPress ecosystem, the questions are becoming more urgent: What skills matter most in this new era? How do we adapt to AI-driven tools while staying relevant? And most importantly, how do we ensure that technology continues to serve people in meaningful ways?

WordCamp Kampala 2026 responds to these questions by shifting the focus beyond efficiency and automation toward purpose and impact. “Tech for Social Good” emphasizes the responsible use of WordPress and emerging technologies to create inclusive, accessible, and sustainable digital solutions. It is a call to action for the community to think beyond building websites, and instead consider how those websites and tools can improve lives, support education, and empower underserved communities.

The event will feature a range of talks, workshops, and interactive sessions designed to equip attendees with both practical skills and forward-looking insights. Participants will explore topics such as web development, content strategy, digital accessibility, and the integration of AI into WordPress workflows. More importantly, they will engage in conversations about ethics, sustainability, and the human side of technology, ensuring that innovation does not come at the cost of inclusivity.

A key highlight of WordCamp Kampala 2026 is the Contributor Day, where attendees have the opportunity to actively participate in the global WordPress project. Whether contributing to code, documentation, translations, or community support, participants move from being consumers of technology to contributors shaping its future. This hands-on experience not only builds skills but also strengthens the spirit of open-source collaboration that WordPress is built on.

Equally impactful is the Do-Action initiative, which brings the theme of social good to life. During the Do-Action, participants will collaborate to build or improve websites for differently abled schools and educational institutions. This initiative focuses on mentorship, skill transfer, and sustainability, ensuring that the benefits extend far beyond the event itself. By working on real projects that serve real communities, attendees experience firsthand how technology can be used as a force for positive change.

What makes WordCamp Kampala unique is its strong sense of community. The event is powered by volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to create a welcoming and inclusive environment. It is a space where beginners feel encouraged to learn, professionals feel inspired to share, and everyone feels part of something bigger. This collaborative spirit is what transforms WordCamp from a typical tech event into a meaningful community experience.

Beyond the sessions and activities, WordCamp Kampala 2026 offers valuable opportunities for networking and connection. Attendees will meet like-minded individuals, potential collaborators, and industry leaders, building relationships that often lead to new projects, partnerships, and career growth. These connections are a vital part of the WordCamp experience, helping to strengthen the broader tech ecosystem in Uganda.

As technology continues to evolve, events like WordCamp Kampala play an important role in helping communities adapt and thrive. They provide a space to ask difficult questions, explore new ideas, and collectively shape the future of the web. By focusing on “Tech for Social Good,” WordCamp Kampala 2026 ensures that this future is not only innovative but also inclusive and impactful.

Ultimately, WordCamp Kampala 2026 is about people. It is about volunteers giving their time, speakers sharing their knowledge, and attendees supporting one another as they navigate a rapidly changing digital world. It is about using technology not just to build, but to uplift, empower, and create lasting change.

As the community gathers in May 2026, WordCamp Kampala stands as a reminder that the true power of technology lies not in the tools themselves, but in how we choose to use them.

Do not miss the opportunity to learn, connect, and be part of a community using WordPress to create real impact. We hope to see you at WordCamp Kampala 2026.

Be part of the movement. Get your ticket to WordCamp Kampala 2026.

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