Behind the Scenes: Diana’s Growth in the OMDTZ GIS & Tech Team
By Diana Peter
As a student of a Bachelor of Science in Housing and Infrastructure Planning at Ardhi University, I began my internship with Openmap Development Tanzania (OMDTZ) in April 2025, while completing my final dissertation.
I have known OMDTZ since 2022, when I participated in the Litter and Solid Waste service data collection in Mtwara and Tanga as a mapper during my industrial training. Since then, I have attended various training sessions in different areas, but I chose OMDTZ because they truly offer a place to grow, learn, and experience working with real-world data. I wanted to learn and become an expert in GIS and data analysis (which I only covered partly in my course), and yes, OMDTZ was a perfect place to be, especially since they actively use free and open-source software such as QGIS, JOSM, R, and more.
I joined the GIS and Tech department, where I worked side by side with an incredible team on planning, data cleaning, data analysis, and mapping. It was a great experience. Over the 6 months of my internship, I have participated in data cleaning on various projects, including Data Collection for Urban Services in Bukoba and Geita, Litter and Solid Waste Service Data Collection, and Spatial Analysis in Mombasa(Kenya) and Nacala(Mozambique).
During my internship, I developed a strong understanding of several technical and analytical skills.
- I’ve learnt to use a new digitization software known as JOSM.
- I learnt how to prepare MBTiles in QGIS.
- Data visualization techniques and map-making in QGIS
- Became proficient in data cleaning, organizing, and analysis in Excel and QGIS.
I wasn’t alone, with strong supervision and support from my supervisor and colleagues within the GIS and Tech Department, I was able to grow.
While working, I encountered technical and personal challenges. On the technical side, while working on data cleaning, I was confused because it was my first time dealing with a large dataset like 7000–10,000 households full of community perceptions on solid waste practices. Honestly, at first, I was just staring at the screen like, “Oh my God, why couldn’t they just give me roads and drainage data with a few variables?” But little by little, I figured out a trick. Hiding columns I wasn’t working on was the hack, and suddenly everything felt clearer, lighter, and even fun. I also had to adjust to a fast-paced environment and work on multiple tasks at once, which wasn’t easy. But with practice and a lot of support from the team, I got the hang of it and delivered good-quality work.
On the personal side, my laptop decided to betray me midway, but the office stepped in and provided another one, so I was able to keep going without too much stress.
My internship at OMDTZ has been such a game-changer for me. I’ve grown so much both personally and professionally, and it feels really good to see how much more confident I’ve become. Getting the chance to work on real projects and actually contribute to the organization’s work has been something I’m genuinely grateful for.
As my internship journey continues, I’m still excited to learn more, try new things, and expand my impact in this exciting field. Everything I’ve gained here is building a solid foundation for the future I want in GIS and data, and I’m really proud of it.
