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Codenight Weekly 046

Mar 30, 2026

Our over the past two recaps shows members shipping projects, sharing resources, listing upcoming events, and running discussions.

Developer Shout-Outs

Fidel-ASCII byEyu .G: Shared an open-source engine that renders Ethiopic script as ASCII banners. Includes real-time playground, gradient effects, 3D shadows, animations in v1.2.0, and font importer. 1, 2, Link.

Ivy Offline AI Tutor byNat: Presented Ivy, an offline AI tutoring agent using a 554 MB quantized model. Reached global top 50 in AWS Global 10,000 AIdeas Challenge. 1, 2, Article Link.

APEX Recovery Architecture bySegni Assaye: Released APEX, a crash monitoring engine with real-time data capture, compression, forensics, web dashboard, and terminal command center. 1.

WhoPays Bill Splitter: Introduced WhoPays, a free web tool designed to eliminate “bill drama” within groups. Users can split expenses equally or by specific items, instantly seeing who owes what. It is particularly useful for roommates, dinners, or trips, offering a simple interface to manage shared finances without awkward reminders. 1. Link

Kenat Calendar Updates byMelaku: Posted updates to Kenat with full-month view from notification bar, haptic feedback, and customizable UI. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Lumi Platform byRafael-T: Announced Lumi beta, a marketplace and runtime for Ethiopian developers to launch and monetize products. 1. Lumi Waitlist

Fuel Queue Management byminte: Deployed a MERN full-stack app for GPS-based fuel station search, live queue lengths, and advance digital tickets. Separate interfaces for customers, officers, and managers. 1, 2.

Fayda Auth SDK: Brook released Fayda Auth, an npm authentication SDK for Ethiopian identity verification. 1.

Stark Blogs:Andy Marrow **** launched Stark Blogs on stark.et for markdown project documentation, version tracking, and per-section comments. 1, 2, Live Link.

GurshaPlus: Natnael Adane launched GurshaPlus, a localized alternative to “Buy Me a Coffee.” The platform allows Ethiopian creators to receive financial support from their community and sell digital products. It provides a much-needed infrastructure for local developers and artists to monetize their work and build sustainable creative careers. This platform is essential. 1, 2, Live Link.

Exit Exam Result Checker: Joseph Tadesse built an alternative result checker for the national exit exam. After noticing that the official site relied on client-side rate limiting, he created a version that allows students to check their results more quickly. The project highlights the importance of strong backend security and rate-limiting practices. 1. Stark Docs.

VEnvy: El built VEnvy, a schema-first environment variable validator for Node.js. It provides full TypeScript inference, CLI validation, and CI/CD guards from a single source of truth. By integrating with Zod, it ensures that application configurations are type-safe and valid before the code even runs in production. This tool makes development easier. 1.

Pureenv: Anteneh G. Yitayal built pureenv, a lightweight Python library for parsing environment variables with type safety. Relying solely on the Python standard library with no external dependencies, it is ideal for small scripts and backend services where developers need a simple, reliable way to manage configurations without bloat. 1, Github Repo.

Shared Resources and Portfolios

Tools & guides shared:

Events and Podcasts

  • Hospitality Hackathon 2026 (ALX Ethiopia + Kuriftu): April 4 & 18, 150,000 ETB prize. Registration open. 1, 2. RSVP.

  • Neapolis University BSc CS & AI admissions (JetBrains 40 full scholarships): deadline April 28, test May 3. 1. RSVP.

  • AASTU Cybersecurity Training (with INSA): In-person at AASTU campus. 1. RSVP.

  • YEEAP Virtual AI Foundations Training: fully funded, register by March 30. RSVP.

Tech Company Updates

  • Chapa shared the official welcome for Cher.et, a platform built for verified fundraising stories and transparent social impact in Ethiopia. It connects donors with causes, delivers real-time updates on how contributions are used, and keeps the focus on verified campaigns and community-driven giving. Now powered by Chapa payments for local transactions. 1.

  • Canonical hiring process details shared by Kal (written tests, math coding, psychometric, final interview). 1

Top Discussions

  • Salary transparency in local postings (Robi, skexo): “call for price” complaints and remote-work shift. 1

  • Phone addiction/digital wellbeing: grayscale mode, app deletion, desktop-only social media. 1

  • OS debate (Windows vs Linux vs macOS): performance, bloatware, dev workflow. 1

  • AI coding tool memory & cost (Cursor vs alternatives, free trials). 1

Disclaimer: This recap is generated by AI and may not fully reflect the context or accuracy of discussions. Join the Codenight group for detailed insights and active participation.

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