First-Time ASF Contributors Help Foster Long-Term Sustainability of Open Source Projects Through Code Writing  

Posted by The ASF First Contributions

Well-written code ensures that open source software is functional, understandable, and accessible to contributors, which is essential for fostering collaboration and long-term sustainability. Just as important, ongoing maintenance—fixing bugs, updating dependencies, and improving security—keeps an open source project reliable and relevant in a rapidly evolving technical landscape. Without continuous care, even the most innovative open source code can quickly become outdated or vulnerable.

This #FirstASFContribution post highlights contributors to Apache AGE, Apache Airflow, Apache EventMesh, Apache Kvrocks, Apache NuttX and Apache Wayang. 

Tito Osadebey, Apache AGE 
Tito has made impactful contributions to Apache AGE and AGE Viewer by leveraging NetworkX and conducting research to implement functions not yet integrated into the projects. As Tito gained valuable expertise in graph databases, he used this knowledge to inspire and support a growing community of contributors in Nigeria who are actively involved in Apache projects.

Sai Pragna Etikyala and Mike Ellis, Apache Airflow 
Sai Pragna Etikyala and Mike Ellis each made meaningful contributions to Apache Airflow, helping to strengthen the project for its global user base. Sai Pragna, motivated by a desire for more precise control over LocalTaskJob heartbeats, dove into the Airflow codebase and successfully implemented a feature that allows users to set distinct heartbeat intervals—a technically challenging yet rewarding endeavor. Her work not only reflects personal growth but also delivers improved efficiency for Airflow users around the world. Meanwhile, Mike contributed SageMaker Notebook Operators to the Amazon provider package, using the experience to deepen his understanding of Airflow, its development workflow, and the broader ecosystem of Amazon operators. Together, their efforts highlight the power of open source collaboration and continuous learning.

YuanXin Hu, Apache EventMesh
YuanXin Hu identified that Apache EventMesh lacked support for several commonly used service registration centers. To address this, he contributed code to expand compatibility, enabling broader usage for themselves and others in the community. Despite receiving 29 comments on his initial submission, YuanXin Hu embraced the feedback, significantly improving his code with the guidance of the maintainers—a valuable learning experience that strengthened both his skills and the project.

Beihao Zhou, Apache Kvrocks 
Beihao’s contributions to Apache Kvrocks began with adding configurable compression levels for Zstandard, giving users greater control over performance and storage efficiency. He then contributed to the search module and went on to lead the implementation of vector search functionality. By integrating HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World) for high-dimensional similarity search, Beihao developed core features such as HNSW encoding, insertion and deletion algorithms, and extended query support via FT.CREATE—enabling Kvrocks to support advanced AI and machine learning use cases.

Lup Yuen Lee, Apache NuttX 
Lup is passionate about IoT education and has focused on finding the best tools to teach embedded programming skills. After discovering Apache NuttX RTOS two years ago, he quickly became an active contributor—starting with a small pull request and later authoring tutorials and educational articles to help others understand the system’s internals. Today, Lup is a member of the Apache NuttX Project Management Committee (PMC) and continues to advance the project by porting NuttX to smartphones like the PinePhone and single-board computers such as the Star64 and Ox64, all while maintaining a strong commitment to writing accessible, educational content for the broader community.

Gláucia Esppenchutz, Incubator Apache Wayang
Gláucia’s #FirstASFContribution began with implementing new functionalities on the Apache Wayang project, including website improvements and Python API. Her work with the Wayang community has grown to include release management, which entails building, testing and security signatures to upload it into Apache servers.

The Community Over Code Ethos
The stories of these first-time contributors showcase the “community over code” ethos that’s deeply embedded in ASF’s open source communities. These experiences demonstrate how contributions can come from a diverse range of individuals, and how even simple bug fixes ensure the long-term stability of ASF projects. We applaud the collective efforts of these contributors and recognize that the open-source community’s strength lies in collaboration and support.

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