Cloud skills are best learned by building.
That simple idea became the foundation of an initiative we recently organized at AWS User Group Addis Ababa a journey that started with a community event and evolved into a four-day hands-on AWS bootcamp for aspiring cloud professionals in Ethiopia.
The Spark: Cloud Blueprint
On June 26, 2026, AWS User Group Addis Ababa hosted:
Cloud Blueprint: Navigating the AWS Solutions Architect Journey & Bootcamp Sneak Peek!
The session featured Simon Gebreselassie, Solutions Architect at AWS, who shared insights on:
What AWS Solutions Architects actually do
How to start a cloud career
AWS certification pathways
Skills needed in today's cloud industry
Practical advice for aspiring cloud professionals
The response from the community exceeded our expectations.
📊 79 community members attended the event.
More importantly, it validated something we had suspected for a while:
There is enormous demand for practical cloud learning opportunities in Ethiopia.
Turning Interest into Action
Following the event, we opened applications for a free hands-on bootcamp.
Within days, we received:
📝 20 applications
🎯 Applicants from different backgrounds and experience levels
☁️ Strong interest in practical AWS experience rather than theory alone
Applicants were evaluated based on:
Motivation and learning goals
Commitment to attending all sessions
Access to a laptop and internet connection
Availability during the bootcamp dates
Our goal wasn't to find the most experienced candidates.
It was to find learners who would make the most of the opportunity.
The Bootcamp
AWS Solutions Architect Bootcamp 2026
📅 Dates: July 6–9, 2026
🌍 Location: Online
👨🏫 Trainer: Simon Gebreselassie, Solutions Architect at AWS
The bootcamp focused on practical learning through instructor-led sessions and hands-on labs.
Participants received:
Free participation
Temporary AWS environments
Guided hands-on exercises
Direct mentorship and Q&A sessions
For many participants, this was their first time interacting with AWS beyond videos or documentation.
What Participants Learned
Over four days, participants explored core AWS concepts including:
- AWS Global Infrastructure
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Amazon EC2
- Amazon S3
- Networking fundamentals
- Cloud architecture principles
- AWS best practices
But the real value came from actually using AWS.
- Launching resources.
- Breaking things.
- Fixing them.
- Experimenting.
- Learning by doing.
What Worked Well
- Temporary AWS Accounts Changed Everything
Giving participants access to real AWS environments transformed the learning experience.
Instead of watching demonstrations, participants could:
Launch EC2 instances
Create S3 buckets
Configure permissions
Explore services independently
Hands-on access dramatically increased engagement.
- Daily Q&A Sessions
Every evening we held sessions where participants could ask questions directly to Simon.
These discussions often became the most valuable part of the day.
Sometimes the biggest learning happens between slides.
- Applications Improved Commitment
Requiring an application process helped ensure participants were genuinely interested and willing to commit to the full four days.
This resulted in higher engagement and better discussions throughout the bootcamp.
Challenges We Encountered
No community initiative is perfect.
Some of the challenges included:
Limited AWS account access windows.
Different technical backgrounds among participants.
Internet connectivity issues affecting some attendees.
These are common realities when running online technical programs, particularly in emerging tech ecosystems.
Lessons for Community Leaders
If you're considering running something similar for your own community, here are a few lessons from our experience:
✅ Start with a public event to generate interest.
✅ Use applications to measure commitment.
✅ Prioritize hands-on learning over presentations.
✅ Keep sessions interactive and discussion-driven.
✅ Create opportunities for mentorship and networking.
Impact by the Numbers
📊 79 attendees joined the kickoff community session.
📝 20 applications were received for the bootcamp.
☁️ Selected participants received free hands-on AWS access and mentorship.
🚀 The initiative contributed to AWS User Group Addis Ababa growing to 1,000+ Meetup members.
The Bigger Picture
This bootcamp was never just about AWS services or certifications.
It was about lowering barriers to cloud learning and creating opportunities for people to gain practical experience.
Communities have the ability to bridge gaps that traditional education and training sometimes cannot.
This experience reinforced our belief that:
The future of cloud education is community-driven, hands-on, and accessible.
Thank You
A huge thank you to Simon Gebreselassie for generously volunteering his time, expertise, and mentorship throughout both the kickoff event and the bootcamp.
And thank you to every participant who showed up, asked questions, experimented, and invested in their own learning journey.
The end of the bootcamp isn't the end of the journey.
It's the beginning.
☁️🚀
Top comments (0)