On 22 May, 2021 a volcano erupted from Mount Nyiragongo in Goma, eastern part of DRC, leaving a trail of destruction. According to BBC 250 people were killed and 120,000 were left homeless while UNICEF noted that more than 100 children were reportedly missing at that time.
Africa News reported on 4 June, 2021 about VAB, which was developed by a 24-year-old Shukuru Victoire and his small team. The bracelet is bar-coded and connected to a mobile application that assists in re-connecting families and keeping them in touch.
Volcano app developer, Victoire told Africa News that the plight of displaced families pushed the team to come up with a solution. Several parents in Goma have already embraced the newly developed app to track lost children.
“In the moments of moving from Goma to these different areas many families got separated from their children and many parents lost their children during the eruption. We as developers and solution thinkers from Goma thought of designing an application that would allow these families to find their children without going through the media without going through a lot of information, but through your application and the bracelet with the barcode,” he said.
Apart from reconciling victims, the volcano app is also handy in rebutting fake news and keeping the public informed about future volcanic waves.
Mobile apps have proved to be a game changer in Africa as they are being used to solve challenges in areas that include health and disaster management.
🗳 Since democracy is crucial in a fact-based optimistic world… we remind our readers of the democratic status of the countries we write about:
Congo has a Global Freedom Score of 20 and has the status not free.
