THE Sisterhood, a group of four UWC female students, have won the Women Matter(s) Hackathon for a safety app they designed.
The four BCom Information Sciences students – Yandisa Citwa, Noluthando Ntshaba, Janine Anthony and Sibabalwe Kweza – designed the Sistahood Watch app.
The idea for their app was based on a number of safety and security issues students have at universities.
“Our app has an SOS button that will be linked to campus security and connects to GPS via data, wi-fi and airtime.
"We plan on giving campus security a device that alerts them to an emergency whenever female students tap on the SOS button,” said Citwa.
Ntshaba said there are tabs for multiple channels on the app’s homepage, such as the “Help A Sista Out” icon that leads to a donations corner.
“If any lady needs an essential item like sanitary pads or food, she can speak out to the other ladies or to an admin person anonymously.
"Then other ladies or our funder could donate those essentials. We also have a tab titled ‘Sistahood Rocks ICT Network’, where we upload the latest trends, articles, tech devices to keep each other updated about the industry and opportunities that arise,” said Ntshaba.
“We identified challenges of safety among the ladies, as there were two rape cases recently reported. There is also crime that takes place in and around private residences,” said Citwa.
The hackathon was hosted by the Information Systems (IS) Department to expose young women to a career in technology.
IS head of department Mmaki Jantjies said the hackathon was part of Cape Town’s Open Design event. Five teams designed and pitched innovative tech solutions that addressed women's issues.
“We were blown away by the talent and ingenuity of not just the Sisterhood but the other designers as well. There were no losers as the other participants will be aided in developing their solutions by industry insiders,” said Jantjies.
She said the event began with a “bring a girl child to ICT work environment day", where 120 Grade 9 pupils from Crossroads, Belhar, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain spent the day at the university.
“They learnt about programming finch robots, developing websites for their schools, and listened to women working in the industry telling them about their journeys in the ICT industry and that there is a future because there is a lack of women developers,” said Jantjies.
Citwa said the app is still in its development stage, but their hope is not just to have it available on all campuses, but eventually communities where women are most at risk.