Underground Railroad

Our project helps victims of domestic abuse and other forms of harassment seek shelter in dire situations through features like an interactive map, hosts that provide shelter, a helpful chatbot, etc.

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Underground Railroad

Inspiration

We were inspired to help the millions of people affected by different forms of domestic abuse, harassment, and other dangers. Our goal is to create a network of safety and trust, allowing people in vulnerable situations to find help when they need it most.

What It Does

Our project involves two types of users: Hosts and Seekers.

  • Hosts can create verified rides and safehouses to help others in danger.
  • Seekers can access these verified rides and safehouses.

Seekers also have access to:

  • Resources on how to get help
  • A personal contacts section
  • A secure place to add evidence against a crime
  • A map of nearby police stations and emergency services

How We Built It

We developed the project using:

  1. VSCode for code editing
  2. TailwindCSS for styling
  3. Node.js and Next.js for functionality and framework support
  4. Assistance from vibecoding, an AI-powered coding helper

Challenges We Ran Into

We faced numerous technical errors that were difficult to resolve, even after multiple debugging attempts. Compatibility issues and setup challenges in our JavaScript environment also slowed progress.

Accomplishments That We’re Proud Of

  • Learning to effectively use development tools and UI frameworks
  • Building a functional prototype that demonstrates our concept
  • Strengthening teamwork and problem-solving skills

What We Learned

  • How to set up and troubleshoot Next.js and Node.js environments
  • How front-end and back-end systems work together
  • UI/UX design considerations for safety-focused applications

What’s Next for Underground Railroad

  1. Improve the chatbot to provide real-time, trauma-informed responses
  2. Add an interactive map with safe route suggestions
  3. Implement end-to-end encryption for better privacy and security

Example of Markdown Features

Table

Feature Description
Hosts Create verified rides and safehouses
Seekers Access resources, rides, and evidence tools
Chatbot Provides real-time guidance
Map Displays nearby safe zones and stations

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