Komuhangi Tumuhairwe and Vivian Maria Awori are based in Kampala, Uganda. Together with Hamna Nanteza Nuriatt and Nakayiza Shamim they make up Team Anchors. The all-female student quartet developed E-School: an online learning platform.
The app was awarded the third prize. It enables nursery, primary and secondary students to access notes and online classes and interact with their peers and teachers. Young students can stay connected through the app, ensuring consistency and continuity of education.
Developing an app to develop education
Team Anchors wants to keep developing the app, to eventually present it to the government. And they may just have a way in! Komuhangi explains that, ever since Covid-19, educational institutes have closed down. While older students can use apps to stay in touch with their uni, there is nothing for younger students. In fact, she feels that the kids are being overlooked by the government. In response, Team Anchors decided to develop an accessible and affordable app for younger students to continue their education.
“Most of us go through school, our parents do a lot to put us through school,
but in the end, we don’t have employment”
For this TungaThon, developers had to present an MVP that was somehow connected to the theme of Youth Employment and Education. This is an urgent topic in Uganda and many other African nations. Says Komuhangi: “Most of us go through school, our parents do a lot to put us through school, but in the end, we don’t have employment. This is a challenge for most Ugandans.”
Hackathon drives inspiration
It is impressive to see these talented young Africans rise to the occasion and address major current problems in this hackathon. Komuhangi enjoyed watching the team presentations. She was delighted to see how, inspired by the hackathon’s theme, the various teams had developed so many different ideas and products. Personally, she loved the teamwork and was glad to discover more about Tunga. Teammate Vivian enjoyed the process of ideation within a short period. She praises the feedback from the judges, which has helped a lot with improving her skills.