PyHo 2025: Beyond Community - Open Source for Growth and Development

The Volta Region is calling all Python enthusiasts! After the incredible success of our first edition in 2024, we're excited to announce that PyHo 2025 is coming back to the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho this October.

What Made PyHo 2024 Special

Last October 25-26, something special happened in Ho. Our inaugural Python conference brought together developers, students, educators, and tech enthusiasts from across Ghana and beyond. While we faced the typical challenges of a first-time event, the energy and passion of our community shone through.

The conference featured practical workshops and talks that resonated with our diverse audience. We had sessions on Python fundamentals, machine learning applications in gaming, Django Ninja for API development, and HTMX as an alternative to traditional frontend frameworks. One talk that generated significant discussion was our panel on diversity and inclusion, which sparked important conversations about representation in tech.

Desmond Kitsi's session, "Coding the Future: Empowering Young Minds with Python," explored how "each time a child is born, a new future is created" and emphasized the importance of investing in young minds to ensure the Python community's sustainable growth. Abigail Afi Gbadago delivered the opening keynote, advocating for open source and sharing insights from her experience as a software engineer.

We also had valuable talks on starting Python clubs in schools, the SOLID principles in programming, and how the Python Software Foundation supports communities worldwide. Representatives from organizations like ICP HUB Ghana , Genius IT Foundation , and Black Python Devs shared their work and opportunities for community involvement.

The technical setup was solid - good audio, projection, and reliable internet thanks to Starlink. The food was well-received (including fish with jollof rice, which was a pleasant surprise for many!), and the venue at UHAS provided a spacious, comfortable environment for learning and networking.

Learning from Year One

PyHo 2024 taught us valuable lessons. We learned about the challenges of organizing events in a transitional community like Ho, where people come for education or work and may not stay long-term. We experienced the reality that not everyone who registers will attend, which affects planning and resources.

But we also discovered the incredible warmth and support of the Python community. People traveled from Accra, Kumasi, and beyond to support our first conference. The enthusiasm was genuine, even if attendance didn't match registrations. Most importantly, we proved that quality tech events can happen outside of Ghana's major cities.

PyHo 2025: Building on Solid Foundations

This year, we're taking everything we learned and building something even better. PyHo 2025 will be a two-day conference featuring a carefully curated single track of talks and workshops designed for all skill levels.

Our theme, "Beyond Community: Open Source for Growth and Development," reflects our commitment to showing how open source contributions can drive real economic and social progress. We'll explore how Python and open source technologies can address challenges specific to our region while contributing to the global ecosystem.

What to Expect

Django Day Workshop to explore the Django Framework, an in-depth hands-on experience for beginners and intermediates to fall in love with programming using Python/Django
Deep-dive workshops on contributing to open source projects
GitHub sprint sessions where you can make real contributions
Hands-on sessions for building datasets that address regional challenges
Keynotes from speakers who are using open source to drive meaningful change
Lightning talks showcasing innovative projects from our community

Call for Proposals is Open

We want to hear from you! Whether you're working on Python in education, developing solutions for local challenges, or contributing to major open source projects, we want your voice at PyHo 2025.

Submit your talk proposals at papercall.io/pyho2025. We're looking for stories, insights, and practical knowledge that can inspire and educate our community.

A Personal Note

Building a sustainable tech community requires consistency and patience. Since 2017, we've been organizing meetups, participating in Django Girls events, and slowly growing our network. PyHo 2024 was the culmination of years of groundwork, and PyHo 2025 represents our commitment to continuing this journey.

As one of our speakers noted, you don't need to be in Accra to make an impact in Ghana's tech ecosystem. You can create something meaningful wherever you are. PyHo is proof of that philosophy in action.

Join Us

Ready to be part of something special? Registration is open at 2025.pythonho.com.

Whether you're a seasoned developer, a curious student, or someone just starting their coding journey, PyHo 2025 has something for you. Let's go beyond community and code the future together.

See you in Ho!

PyHo 2025 is organized by the Python User Group Ho community with support from the Python Software Foundation and our local partners.

This was put together by Jessica Adzoyi for the community.