Ka'Ayuda
Inspiration
We built Ka'Ayuda because we saw how hard it is for people to keep track of ayuda announcements. A lot of updates are scattered, delayed, or unclear, and that creates stress for families who need support. We wanted to make something simple that helps both organizers and community members.
What it does
Ka'Ayuda is a two-side web app. On the admin side, organizers can create, edit, publish, and archive ayuda projects. On the user side, people can browse active announcements, check schedules and requirements, and view location details with distance info.
How we built it
We built the backend with Flask and MySQL, then made the frontend with React + TypeScript. We connected both sides through API endpoints and served everything as one deployable app. We also added mock seed data so testing and demo setup would be faster.
Challenges we ran into
Our biggest challenge was keeping project data clean across many fields like schedules, eligibility, requirements, and locations. We also had to make sure publish states and status updates were consistent between admin actions and what users actually see. On top of that, handling map/location behavior smoothly took extra time.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re proud that we finished a working MVP with clear admin and user flows. We also built a full project lifecycle (draft, publish, archive) instead of just static listings. Most of all, we’re proud that the app solves a real local communication problem in a practical way.
What we learned
We learned that clear data structure matters more than we expected when building tools with many moving parts. We also improved our teamwork between backend and frontend by agreeing early on API contracts and states. Finally, we learned that simple UX decisions can make a big difference for users under pressure.
What's next for Ka'Ayuda
Next, we want to add role-based access, stronger validation, and better search/filter tools. We also plan to improve mobile usability and add notification support for newly published ayuda. After that, we want pilot testing with real users to validate what to improve first.
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