OneRefuge | Devpost

Front Page
Example of a provided resource, namely job opportunities

Inspiration

Seeking asylum in an unfamiliar world is far more complex and arduous than privileged individuals could ever anticipate. Refugees are tasked with familiarizing themselves to foreign languages, acclimating to unfamiliar policies, finding the right support centres, and a variety of other considerations. Driven by the intent to address this humanitarian issue and to reduce the strain on overwhelmed aid organizations and systems, we've created OneRefuge, a digital platform that aims to provide immediate and accurate answers to point refugees in the right direction, while empowering them and insuring their dignity in their new lives.

What it does

OneRefuge acts as an aggregator of information to support refugees in settling into their host country. Our current focus is to specifically support refugees who seek asylum in Canada, though in the future it can be expanded to help refugees seeking asylum elsewhere. OneRefuge provides information on healthcare resources, communities, rights of refugees, housing and food services, and job opportunities. Our platform also attempts to implement a chatbot to aid navigation throughout the website or for seeking information in general, though it is still in process!

How we built it

Our website's frontend was built with html and css, the backend with Node.js and mySQL, and the chatbot was integrated with OpenAI's GPT API.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges during the hackathon was deciding on a project idea. Although we had considered the idea of a refugee assistance platform for some time, its implementation initially felt daunting. During the first few hours, we found ourselves switching between multiple ideas before finally returning to this one.

Another significant hurdle was our limited knowledge of chatbot development and certain front-end technologies. Overcoming these gaps required hours of intensive Google searches, debugging, and troubleshooting before we could bring all the pieces together.

Lastly, we had initially planned to integrate both the Google Maps API and the Google Translate API into our program. However, due to several challenges, most notably a lack of resources, this was not feasible.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We take pride in several accomplishments during this project. First and foremost, our teamwork shone as we diligently tackled numerous bugs together. Despite starting at the 11th hour with an idea that felt extremely intimidating once we learned what was required of us to implement it, we showed courage and perseverance by sticking with it. Through dedication and sleepless hours, we turned our vision into reality.

Additionally, we made significant strides in learning front-end development within just 24 hours. Each time we resolved an issue, it was a cause for celebration, boosting our morale and reinforcing our commitment to the project.

What we learned

Through this project, we gained valuable experience navigating front-end technologies, understanding databases, and working with chatbot GPT integrations. We also practiced intelligent Google searching, an invaluable skill for software developers!

What's next for OneRefuge

We expect OneRefuge to see it's implementation grow to include services for refugees outside of Canada. We also expect to implement further AI technologies, such as an improved chatbot by using advanced machine learning techniques in order to enable users, for instance, to upload documents and receive templates for important government forms. We also hope to expand the resources available on the website in general.