Eritrean Heroes

Victorious end of the war

📌 Inspiration

The Eritrea Heroes Archive was born from a deep desire to preserve the memory of those who sacrificed their lives and freedoms in the fight for Eritrea's independence and sovereignty. While many stories are passed down orally through generations, there was no centralized, accessible digital space to document these narratives. This project is a tribute to the brave souls who shaped Eritrea’s past—and a commitment to pass their legacy on to future generations.

🧠 What It Does

The Eritrea Heroes Archive is a cross-platform digital memorial that:

Creates multimedia-rich hero profiles (photos, videos, documents, stories)
Offers a historical timeline from 1890 to the present
Allows families and communities to contribute verified artifacts
Includes virtual memorial features like digital candles and tribute messages
Supports multilingual content (English, Tigrinya, Arabic)
Provides a donation platform to sustain the memorial
Enables a secure, respectful space for cultural preservation and community healing

⚙️ How I Built It

Frontend:

React + Next.js for the web platform
React Native for mobile apps (iOS/Android)
TailwindCSS using Eritrean flag colors (#E4002B, #43B02A, #418FDE, #FFC72C)

Backend:

Supabase (PostgreSQL, Auth, Storage, Row-level security)
RESTful APIs for data sync across web and mobile
Multi-step verification flow for user submissions
Role-based access control: admins, moderators, contributors, visitors

Key Features:

Secure artifact upload (photos, audio, documents, video)
Community submission tools with moderation workflows
Advisory board review dashboard
End-to-end encryption + audit logging
GDPR compliance and digital watermarking for image protection

🧗‍♂️ Challenges I Ran Into

Handling inconsistent name spellings and multilingual transliterations
Designing a respectful yet open community contribution workflow
Building mobile-first upload tools for low-bandwidth and offline users
Balancing memorial sensitivity with the need for historical accuracy
Creating trust and participation across a global diaspora

🏅 Accomplishments I'm Proud Of

Launched Eritrea’s first digital memorial archive platform
Developed a full-stack, multilingual app experience across web and mobile
Designed a contribution flow that respects privacy and verification
Built an inclusive system that invites collaboration from Eritreans worldwide
Enabled community healing through digital storytelling

📚 What I Learned

Oral history needs digital structure to survive and spread
Tech and heritage can coexist through thoughtful, culturally sensitive design
Community-first design builds trust faster than features
Inclusivity takes intention, not just accessibility features

🚀 What's Next for Eritrea Heroes Archive

📱 Release full-featured iOS and Android apps
🕯️ Host a global virtual memorial day for Eritrean Martyrs
🏛️ Partner with Eritrean museums and global diaspora institutions
📈 Launch an education and research hub for students and historians
🤝 Enable offline-first uploads from rural communities

- 💬 Expand translation/localization to include more dialects

Built With

backend
offline-submission-queue
react
supabase

Created by

As the founder and lead contributor of the Eritrea Heroes Archive, I led the project from concept to execution. I envisioned this platform as a space for honoring Eritrean liberation heroes while also educating future generations and connecting the global Eritrean community through shared memory and heritage.

My key contributions include:

Vision and Strategy: I developed the core mission and long-term vision of the project, centering on cultural preservation, accessibility, and respectful community engagement.

Platform Architecture: I designed the system architecture for both the web and mobile platforms, selecting a modern stack with React/Next.js, React Native, and Supabase to enable a secure, scalable, and cross-platform experience.

Design and User Experience: I led the user interface and experience design process, applying culturally meaningful elements like Eritrean flag colors and traditional visual motifs while ensuring a clean, accessible layout for all age groups.

Backend Development and Data Modeling: I structured the backend to support complex data relationships, version control for collaborative editing, and role-based access for contributors, moderators, and administrators.

Community Submission Framework: I designed a respectful and secure system for families and community members to submit stories, photos, and historical materials—with multi-step verification, moderation, and advisory board review.

Multilingual Accessibility: I coordinated the design and planning of a multilingual interface and content system that will support English, Tigrinya, and Arabic submissions, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Eritrean people.

Security and Compliance: I ensured that data protection, encryption, audit logging, and GDPR compliance were integrated from the beginning to safeguard sensitive historical and personal data.

Collaboration and Outreach: I created documentation and outreach material to onboard contributors, form partnerships with diaspora communities, and lay the foundation for institutional collaborations with educators and cultural institutions.

This project reflects both my technical skills and my passion for building something meaningful and lasting for Eritreans everywhere. It is not only a tribute to those who gave everything for Eritrea’s freedom—it’s a living archive that invites everyone to remember, learn, and contribute.

Tes Labs
Hannah Tesfamariam

Updates

Tes Labs started this project — May 25, 2025 04:16 PM EDT

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