Salim Nuru, a software engineer and security researcher from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is featured as the Django Software Foundation (DSF) member of the month for June 2026. He shares his journey from learning Django in a week for a freelance project to becoming a DjangoCon Africa organizer, chair of the DjangoCon US website, and DSF member. He discusses his favorite Django features (security by default, admin panel, DRF), his work on an Android security scanning platform with local LLM integration, and his experience with the Djangonaut Space program. He encourages newcomers to contribute to open source without waiting to feel ready.
Table of contents
Can you tell us a little about yourself (hobbies, education, etc)?I already have an idea, but where does your nickname "theShinigami" come from?How did you start using Django?What other frameworks do you know, and is there anything you would like to have in Django if you had magical powers?What projects are you working on now?Which Django libraries are your favorite (core or 3rd party)?What are the top three things in Django that you like?I know you have a lot of knowledge in cyber security. How do you find the security in Django? Have you ever thought about being part of the security team, by any chance?You have been an organizer of DjangoCon Africa, thank you for organizing it. Organizers always do a lot of work that people can't see. How did you start? What are the things that have surprised you or that you didn't expect as an organizer?You are now the chair of the DjangoCon US website that's amazing! What does it mean exactly? How has your experience been so far?You now have some experience in organizing big events. Do you have any recommendations for people who would potentially be interested in contributing to or organizing this type of event?You have been part of the Djangonaut Space program as a djangonaut (participant), and you are now involved in the community in many ways. How do you reflect on your evolution since your participation in the program? Any advice for potential new contributors or people who would like to give it a try?Do you remember your first contribution to Django and to open source?Is there anything else you’d like to say?471 Impressions