A 15-year-old Indian boy has built a mobile application to help refugees in Ukraine get help in neighbouring countries from locals. Google has added the application on its Playstore and Tejas Ravishankar has posted its link. He has built in two weeks.
“Launching Refuge - To help those displaced from their homes in Ukraine. Refuge is where individuals offering help connect with those who require help. Please Retweet to spread the word,” the young software developer said in his Twitter post on Thursday.
In a subsequent tweet, he explained the features of the app:
- Advanced verification features based on national IDs across the world
- Map to find the closest help locations
- Listings offering food, shelter, healthcare, transport
- Translation in 12+ languages
- Request help in 2 clicks
Twitter has given thumbs up to the young boy.
“Nice job Tejas, we are proud of you,” a user tweeted. “Appreciate it man. This is something actually contributing to the community,” added another.
Tejas' Twitter bio describes him as the co-founder of software company Dimension, and co-owner of Buildergroop - the home for ambitious makers, builders, and pioneers of Gen-Z.
The United Nations has said that the Russia-Ukraine war has led to a massive humanitarian crisis with more than four million Ukrainians fleeing abroad. Most of them have gone to Poland and Romania since the war began on February 24.
More than half of those refugees are children and the rest mostly women.
In the last few days, Ukrainian forces have recaptured towns and villages on the outskirts of Kyiv, broken the siege of the eastern city of Sumy and pushed back Russian forces in the southwest.
