My Story as a YERH Developer – Samuel Kiragu

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2 years ago
YERH Developer - Samuel Kiragu

Working together systematically, we specified what we had accomplished and what was pending. We were all united and some of us, slept late finishing up some pending tasks.

From the very first day after being selected to participate in the hackathon, I started learning. On Day One, when we were getting the desired details, some participants and even groups in their entirety were disqualified. Dr. Benson then echoed one of the lessons that piqued my interest; availability. I can consciously acknowledge that if one of my team members wasn’t available at the specified time (making themselves unreliable), we would have even gotten the chance to attempt the hackathon.

 

With the onset of the hackathon, I also started a corresponding course on the technicalities required, by my teammates and myself. One of the strengths I commend my team for is how we took time and intentionally brainstormed on the possible course of action. I was particularly impressed by how my teammate Nelson contrasted the challenge’s requirements and see its correlation to Ajira, a government platform. Through this brainstorming, I unearthed skills I had previously downplayed. For example, it was second nature to me to take notes as I listened to my teammates’ ideas and organized them for brainstorming.

 

Working with my team was fun. Despite the challenges, I have to commend Jecinta who has her way of making the group lively. This brings me to a fundamental lesson I learned. Team members should not only work together but also encourage each other. At times, I remember hearing my teammates desiring to give up. However, I appreciate the fact that we encouraged each other.

 

Brain fascinated me with his technical know-how. I was impressed by the tools he had in mind for making wireframes and even the final UI and UX design. The team and I quickly adopted the tools he had suggested and started working on the ideas we had agreed on. It was enjoyable to work together in real-time remotely. (the devices Brian suggested supported this). Again, I used my organizational skills to cluster our tasks into three classes: Completed, in progress, and yet to start.

 

Working together systematically, we specified what we had accomplished and what was pending. We were all united and some of us, slept late finishing up some pending tasks.

 

On the presentation day, we met up and had a small discussion. We all had confidence in what we had done because we had actively participated in the entire process and knew exactly what we were presenting. Even if we never won, this was a win; I enjoyed working with my team and learned a lot along the way.

 

Winning the hackathon was a game changer but was also the beginning. The webmaster would help us to create the prototype. I wrote a plan on how we intended to develop the prototype without giving it much thought. This inadequate task analysis impacted our productivity. My lack of communication affected the effectiveness of the team.

 

 

However, I appreciate Brian, who helped the team. He was not only familiar with the technology used but was willing and ready to help us reach working proficiency. The webmaster intervened and I was amazed by the work he did. He made me realize that there is a lot to learn. All in all, I enjoyed working on the project in a team and learning from the webmaster. Through this experience, I’ve been able to polish up some technical skills, management skills, and communication skills. I’m now aware that there are more skills to learn, more self-discovery, and more solutions to be created.

 

 

 

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