{"id":8406,"date":"2020-03-06T16:30:43","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T16:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/news\/?p=8406"},"modified":"2022-05-02T22:52:49","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T22:52:49","slug":"people-of-wordpress-mary-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/news\/2020\/03\/people-of-wordpress-mary-job\/","title":{"rendered":"People of WordPress: Mary Job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this series, we share some of the inspiring stories of how WordPress and its global network of contributors can change people\u2019s lives for the better. This month we feature a WordPresser from Nigeria, who uses the open source WordPress platform to support her local community groups and help them learn new skills.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it all began<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mary
Mary Job at WordCamp Kampala 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mary remembers when cybercaf\u00e9s started trending in Nigeria. She had just finished high school and was awaiting her results for admission to university. She spent all of her time (10 hours a day) and all of her pocket money buying bulk time online at cafes. All the way through university that was true, until in 2008 she graduated with a degree in philosophy and bought her own computer and modem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She started blogging in 2009. She tried out Blogger, Hubpages, and WordPress\u2014but initially found WordPress too complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up as a timid but curious cat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mary is one of four kids, and the only girl among her siblings. Throughout her childhood she felt shy, even though others didn\u2019t always see her that way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she first started her personal blog, it was mostly an opportunity for her to speak her mind where she was comfortable. Blogging gave her a medium to express her thoughts and with every new post she became a better writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rediscovering WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After completing a postgraduate diploma in mass communication, Mary started a Masters degree in Information Management. This required a three month internship. She decided to volunteer in Ghana in 2015 at the headquarters of the Salesians of Don Bosco in West Africa (SDBAFW)<\/strong> where her uncle was based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she was there, her uncle asked Mary why she was not blogging on WordPress, which also happened to be the software the organisation used. She explained how difficult and complicated it was so he shared a group of beginner-level tutorial videos with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two weeks of watching those videos, she started to realize she could have a full-time career doing this. So she immediately joined a number of online training groups so she could learn everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw a lot of people earning an income from things I knew and did for the fun of it. I found myself asking why I had not turned my passion into a business.<\/em><\/p>Mary Job<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Not long after that, she was contacted by a website editor who was impressed by her blog. With the information available online for WordPress, she was able to learn everything she needed to improve and redesign a site for what turned into her first client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mary’s home office in 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I visited the WordPress.org showcase<\/a> and was wowed with all the good things I could do with WordPress.<\/em><\/p>Mary Job<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In 2016 after a year of deep WordPress learning, she had fallen in love with the CMS and wanted to give back to the WordPress open source project<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She volunteered to help the Community team. And when she moved to Lagos later that year, she discovered there was an active WordPress Meetup community. This started her journey toward becoming a WordPress Meetup Co-organizer and a Global Community Team Deputy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the Nigerian WordPress community continues to grow, as has the Lagos WordPress Meetup<\/a> group. The first Nigerian WordCamp took place in Lagos in 2018 and a 2020 event is being planned<\/a>. A local WordPress community also developed in Mary\u2019s hometown in Ijebu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have made great friends and met co-organizers in the community who are dedicated to building and sharing their WordPress knowledge with the community like I am.<\/em><\/p>Mary Job<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What did Mary gain from using and contributing to WordPress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n