Building the Data Backbone: My First Week as Backend Lead for Bloom After

When people think about building a website, they usually focus on what users see — the layout, the colors, and the pages. But behind every website is something users rarely think about: the structure of the data that powers it.

For the International Women's Day Sprint with the Tabi Project and TEE Foundation, our team is building Bloom After — a website designed to support Nigerian mothers dealing with Postpartum Depression (PPD) by providing trusted resources, clinic information, and supportive community stories. As the Backend Lead, my role during Week 1 (our setup week) was to help plan the data structure that will support these features and to get the backend team aligned before development begins.

Translating the Product Idea into Data

Before writing backend code, we first had to understand what kind of information Bloom After will manage. From the Product Requirements Document (PRD), the platform will eventually include:

• Educational articles and resources
• A clinic finder to help mothers locate nearby support
• Information about mental health specialists
• Community stories where mothers can share experiences
• Administrative tools to manage the platform

My main task this week was translating those ideas into a database plan. That meant identifying the tables we would need and thinking through the columns each one should contain. Planning this early helps ensure that when development begins, the backend structure already supports the features we want to build.

Preparing the Backend with Supabase

For this project, we decided to use Supabase as our backend platform. Supabase provides a PostgreSQL database along with helpful tools for authentication and APIs. Since we are working in a fast sprint environment, it allows us to focus on building features instead of managing server infrastructure.

During this first week, the focus wasn't on building the backend yet, but on preparing the data model and understanding how Supabase will support the system when development starts.

Working with the Backend Track

Another part of my role this week was helping onboard and coordinate with backend students from other learning tracks who will be contributing to the project. Since this was still our setup phase, most of our work involved:

• Reviewing the project requirements
• Understanding how the backend will support the platform
• Discussing the structure of the data
• Preparing for development in the coming weeks

This early alignment helps make sure everyone understands the direction before we begin building.

Contributing to the Resource Preview Section

While the backend planning was ongoing, I also worked on part of the resource preview section on the homepage. This section showcases examples of the types of materials the platform will eventually provide to support mothers experiencing postpartum depression.

Even though the full resource system isn't built yet, designing this preview section helps communicate the purpose of the platform and what users can expect.

What I Learned This Week

Week 1 reminded me that backend work begins long before writing actual code. It starts with:

• Understanding product requirements
• Designing clear data structures
• Communicating with the team
• Planning how features will connect

It also showed me how important collaboration is when working across multiple tracks. Even during the setup phase, conversations with the team helped refine ideas and clarify how the system should work.

Team Shoutouts

A huge thank you to the amazing people building Bloom After together:

• Grace Olabode (Engineering Lead) – for setting up the technical structure and guiding the development process.
• Nanji Lakan (Product Lead) – for keeping the product focused on the real needs of mothers experiencing PPD.
• Agugua Genevieve (Design Lead) – for designing a platform that feels calm, welcoming, and supportive.
• Prisca Onyemaechi (Lead Maintainer) – for keeping our GitHub workflow organized.
• Christine Mwangi (People Manager) – for making sure the team stays connected and supported.

And to everyone across the UIUX and backend tracks contributing to the sprint.

Looking Ahead

Week 1 was all about laying the groundwork. With the data planning and onboarding complete, the next phase will involve actually building the backend systems that power Bloom After — including the resource library, clinic finder, and community stories.

There's still a lot to build, but the foundation is in place. And that's where every strong system begins.

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