DEV Community: Modesta Otieno

Building My Developer Portfolio with React and Vite

Modesta Otieno — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:26:15 +0000

As I continued learning software development, I realized that building projects is only part of the journey. I also needed a place where people could discover my work, understand my skills, and follow my progress.

That led me to build my personal developer portfolio.

Why I Decided to Build a Portfolio

I wanted a website that could introduce me, showcase my projects, describe my learning journey, and make it easier for people to connect with me.

Rather than treating the portfolio as just another assignment, I wanted to make it a professional representation of my growth as a developer.

The Technologies I Used

I used React and Vite to build the frontend.

React helped me organize the interface into reusable components, while Vite provided the development environment for building and testing the application.

I also worked with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React Router to structure and style the website and navigate between its pages.

Designing the Experience

I wanted the portfolio to feel professional, readable, and consistent.

I explored a forest-green visual theme, clear typography, comfortable spacing, and a layout that introduces me before presenting my technical skills and projects.

The site includes sections for:

About me.
Skills and technologies.
Projects.
Experience.
Education.
Contact information.

I also wanted visitors to be able to find my developer profiles and explore my work.

Challenges Along the Way

Building a portfolio taught me that small details can make a big difference.

Layout decisions, spacing, navigation, responsive design, and image presentation all affect how people experience a website.

I also learned that it is important to test changes in the browser instead of assuming that the code will look exactly as expected.

What Building It Taught Me

The portfolio helped me practice combining several frontend concepts into one application.

It also made me think about how developers communicate their work. A project is more meaningful when people can understand the problem it addresses, the technologies involved, and what I learned from building it.

What Comes Next?

I plan to keep improving my portfolio as I build more projects and gain experience.

For me, this website is not the end of the journey. It is a place that can grow alongside my skills.

If you're building your first developer portfolio, what section do you think is most important?

react #vite #portfolio #webdev #beginners

My AXIS Green Economy Hackathon Experience: Building a Smart Irrigation Solution

Modesta Otieno — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:24:39 +0000

Building software becomes especially interesting when the problem connects to everyday life.

During the AXIS Green Economy Hackathon, I worked on a project in the Smart Irrigation and Water Management track.

The experience gave me an opportunity to explore how technology could help farmers make more informed irrigation decisions.

The Problem We Explored

Water is an important resource in agriculture, and irrigation decisions can affect both crop growth and water use.

Our project focused on exploring how a digital solution could help estimate crop water requirements and support irrigation planning.

The aim was to make irrigation information more useful for people managing crops.

Working on the Solution

The project involved developing a smart irrigation application that uses crop and environmental information to estimate irrigation needs.

Some of the areas explored included:

Crop selection and growth stages.
Location-specific inputs.
Estimated crop water requirements.
Irrigation efficiency.
Water-management recommendations.

The application was developed as a practical demonstration of how calculations and software can support agricultural decision-making.

Learning Through Development

Working on this project helped me explore how an application can combine user inputs, calculations, and an interface to present useful information.

It also reminded me that developing a solution requires more than writing code. You need to understand the problem, decide what information is needed, test your assumptions, and communicate the results clearly.

What I Learned From the Experience

The hackathon helped me think about software development from a problem-solving perspective.

It encouraged me to consider how technology can be applied beyond traditional websites and how software can contribute to areas such as agriculture and water management.

I also gained experience working toward a specific project goal under time constraints.

Looking Ahead

I'm continuing to grow as a developer and explore projects that connect technology with practical problems.

This experience has encouraged me to keep experimenting, learning new tools, and turning ideas into working applications.

You can explore the project here: https://axis-irrigation.fly.dev/

If you were building a technology solution for farmers, what problem would you want to solve first?

hackathon #agriculture #webdev #technology #learninginpublic

Building My Smart Electoral Integrity System:

Modesta Otieno — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:22:42 +0000

One of the most meaningful projects I've been working on is the Smart Electoral Integrity System (SEIS).

I wanted to explore how technology could help people understand election progress and how recorded election results could be made easier to verify.

The Idea Behind the Project

Elections involve many stages of information collection, recording, and reporting. I wanted to build a demonstration platform that explores how digital tools could make election progress easier to monitor.

The goal of SEIS is to demonstrate transparent, verifiable, and trustworthy digital election processes.

It is a demonstration project, not an official election system.

Building the Application

Working on SEIS has given me an opportunity to explore web development and think about how frontend and backend components work together.

The technologies and architecture I've been exploring include:

React: Building the user interface.
Go: Developing backend services and API functionality.
PostgreSQL: Working with structured data.
Docker: Exploring how application components and services run together.

Each component has its own responsibilities, and connecting them requires careful planning and testing.

Challenges and Lessons

One of the important lessons from building a full-stack project is that a good-looking interface is not enough.

The frontend must communicate correctly with the backend, the API must return the expected data, and the application must handle errors properly.

I've also learned the importance of testing components individually before trying to troubleshoot the entire application.

Thinking About Trust and Verification

Because SEIS explores election integrity, security and accuracy are important design considerations.

I want to understand how authentication, permissions, audit logs, and verification mechanisms can contribute to a system that is easier to inspect and understand.

These are areas that require careful implementation and testing, not just visual demonstrations.

What This Project Is Teaching Me

SEIS is helping me move beyond individual programming exercises and think about how different parts of a software application work together.

I'm continuing to improve the project as I learn more about frontend development, backend services, data handling, and testing.

You can explore the project on GitHub: https://github.com/modeotieno/smart-electoral-integrity-system

What would you consider most important when designing a digital system where transparency and verification matter?

react #go #golang #webdev #opensource

Starting My Go Journey by solving problem

Modesta Otieno — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:19:57 +0000

One of the technologies I'm currently exploring in my software development journey is Go, also known as Golang.

When I started learning programming, I realized that understanding syntax is only one part of the process. The bigger challenge is learning how to break a problem down, think logically, and turn a solution into working code.

Why I'm Learning Go

Go has introduced me to a different way of thinking about programming. I'm interested in using it to build applications, work with HTTP servers, and understand backend development.

As I continue learning, I'm focusing on understanding the fundamentals rather than simply copying solutions.

Learning Through Programming Challenges

Working through programming exercises has helped me practice functions, strings, loops, conditions, and problem-solving.

Sometimes a solution looks correct at first but fails when I test a different input. That has taught me to pay attention to edge cases and read instructions carefully.

When I encounter an error, I try to understand why it happens and what the code is actually doing.

What I'm Discovering

My learning experience is teaching me that becoming a developer requires consistency.

Some problems are straightforward, while others require me to try different approaches before I understand the solution.

I'm learning to be patient with myself, test my code, and focus on understanding the logic behind each solution.

What's Next?

I want to continue improving my Go skills and apply what I'm learning to practical applications, including backend services and APIs.

I'm still a learner, and I know there is much more to explore.

For developers who use Go, what advice would you give someone who is still learning the fundamentals?

go #golang #beginners #programming #learninginpublic

My Journey Into Software Development:

Modesta Otieno — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:13:30 +0000

Hello, DEV Community!

My name is Modesta Otieno, and I'm on a journey to become a software developer.

My journey into technology started with an interest in ICT. As I learned more about computers and technology, I became interested in understanding how applications are built and how software can solve real-world problems.

That curiosity led me to explore programming.

Taking My First Steps

Starting software development has been an exciting learning experience. There are new concepts to understand, errors to investigate, and challenges that sometimes take time to solve.

I began learning programming fundamentals and exploring languages such as Go, C, and JavaScript. I also started learning how HTML and CSS are used to build websites.

As I continued learning, I discovered that software development involves much more than writing code. It requires problem-solving, patience, logical thinking, collaboration, and a willingness to keep learning.

Learning by Building

I believe the best way to grow as a developer is to put knowledge into practice.

Instead of only studying concepts, I started working on projects that would help me understand how different technologies fit together.

Some of the projects I have explored include a Smart Electoral Integrity System, a smart irrigation solution developed during a hackathon, and my personal developer portfolio.

Each project has given me a different opportunity to learn, experiment, and improve.

My Experience at Zone01 Kisumu

My software development journey also involves learning through practical challenges at Zone01 Kisumu.

Working through programming exercises has encouraged me to think carefully, investigate errors, and understand problems before jumping into solutions.

I'm still learning, but every challenge gives me an opportunity to become better.

Why I'm Sharing My Journey

I want to use DEV.to to document my progress honestly.

I'll share the projects I build, the mistakes I make, the technical challenges I encounter, and the lessons I learn along the way.

I also hope my journey encourages more women and beginners who are interested in technology to take that first step. You don't need to know everything before you begin.

You can learn one concept, solve one problem, and build one project at a time.

What Comes Next?

I'll be sharing more about my journey into Go, my Smart Electoral Integrity System, my experience at the AXIS Green Economy Hackathon, and the process of building my developer portfolio.

This is only the beginning, and I'm excited to see how far this journey takes me.

If you're also learning software development, what first inspired you to start?

Let's connect, share our experiences, and grow together!

beginners #programming #learninginpublic #careerjourney