This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Bereket Negash Akele
Back in July, I wrote about our journey of building an AWS community in Ethiopia in my post “How We’re Building an AWS Community in Ethiopia — Lessons from the Ground Up”. At the time, I shared our excitement and anticipation for what was to come: AWS Community Day Addis Ababa 2025.
On August 2, 2025, that vision became a reality. More than 100 builders, educators, students, startups, and cloud enthusiasts gathered at Yellow Catalyst in Addis Ababa for a full-day, community-led event powered by the AWS User Group Addis Ababa.
*A Milestone for Ethiopia’s Cloud Builders
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Community Day wasn’t just another meetup; it was our biggest milestone yet. For the first time, we hosted three simultaneous tracks:
- DevOps on AWS
- AI/ML & Data Innovation
- Startups & Cloud Adoption
Each track was designed to address the unique needs of Ethiopia’s growing cloud ecosystem, from helping students get started with AWS to showing startups how to scale with the cloud.
*Highlights from the Day
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Keynote: “Builders from Anywhere” I had the privilege of opening the day by reminding our community that innovation can come from anywhere, and Ethiopia has a role to play in shaping the future of cloud.
DevOps Track: Nathan Damtew shared practical insights on building resilient infrastructure with CI/CD, showing how to leverage AWS tools for scalability.
AI/ML Track: Surafel Girma walked attendees through hands-on demos of Amazon SageMaker, sparking a lot of excitement among young developers.
Startup Track: A lively panel discussion explored “What’s Next for Cloud Innovation in East Africa,” giving founders and educators a chance to reflect on the opportunities ahead.
*Who Joined Us
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We were proud to welcome a diverse audience:
- 40% students eager to learn and apply AWS in their studies
- 35% professionals, including DevOps engineers, developers, and analysts
- 25% startup founders and freelancers exploring how AWS could scale their businesses
Notably, 30% of attendees were women, a reminder of the progress we’re making toward inclusivity in Ethiopia’s tech ecosystem.
*Lessons Learned
*
- Local voices matter. Hearing Ethiopian professionals speak about AWS created stronger impact than slides alone.
- Beginner content is in high demand. Many attendees asked for more entry-level sessions to help them kickstart their AWS journey.
- Networking is key. Attendees wanted more time to connect with each other — a clear signal that the community is hungry for collaboration.
*Beyond the Event
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The event also validated what I wrote back in July: “We’re also expanding outreach to universities and youth programs, and exploring collaborations with global mentors.”
Community Day became proof that this vision is possible. We not only attracted students and startups, but also began building the foundation for partnerships with universities and youth initiatives.
*What’s Next
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We’re not stopping here. Looking ahead:
- Launching monthly deep-dive sessions on AWS services.
- Expanding university outreach programs to inspire the next generation of cloud builders.
- Exploring collaborations with AWS mentors across Africa and beyond.
*Final Thoughts
*
AWS Community Day Addis Ababa 2025 was more than just an event; it was a celebration of how far our community has come and a glimpse of where we’re headed.
From a few enthusiasts meeting casually, to over 100 participants gathering for Ethiopia’s first full-fledged AWS Community Day, the journey has only just begun.
And as I said in my earlier post, we’re here to learn, build, and grow together.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Bereket Negash Akele