Overview

The A Sandal More initiative, spearheaded by Access Bank Ghana in collaboration with Rana Motors, Horseman Shoes, and the Ghana Education Service, aimed to distribute sandals to pupils from underprivileged communities in Ghana. As part of this initiative, I developed an Android app to efficiently log and track each student who received a pair of sandals, ensuring proper record-keeping.

Technologies Used

Languages & Frameworks

• Flutter - For developing the mobile app UI and logic.
• Firebase - Used for data storage, authentication, and media uploads.

App Features

• Form for Pupil Information: The app allows the entry of details such as the pupil’s name, age, school, class, region/state, and future aspirations.
• Photo Capture: A feature to take a photo of the student for visual identification.
• Audio Recording: A unique feature that records the pupil's dream career in their own voice, storing the recording in Firebase.
• Firebase Integration: All data, images, and audio recordings are stored securely in Firebase, enabling reliable access and storage.

Challenges & Learnings

One of the most challenging aspects of this project was implementing the audio recording feature. Handling the process of making a recording, extracting it as a file from the device, and properly managing it in the app took some time. Once I worked through this hurdle, the rest of the app's functionality, including uploading the audio to Firebase, came together smoothly. I gained valuable experience in managing multimedia features within Flutter.

Outcome

The A Sandal More donation exercise is ongoing, with no issues reported in the use of the app. It has successfully streamlined the data collection process, ensuring that every student who receives a pair of sandals is properly logged. The project marks my second collaboration with Access Bank Ghana.

Future Enhancements

• App Store Publishing: I plan to publish the app on the Google Play Store to make it more accessible to a wider audience.
• UI Animations: I aim to enhance the app's design by adding engaging animations to improve the overall user experience.

Screenshots

Below are screenshots showcasing the app:

The landing page and a page showing registered pupils.

Add student form, play recorded audio and student details.

The audio recording feature to record dream careers of students.

An overview of the Firebase Firestore and Firebase Storage setup used to store student data.

Conclusion

Developing the A Sandal More app was both a rewarding and educational experience. It provided me with further opportunities to hone my Flutter development skills and work with multimedia features. This project, developed over the course of a month from mid-June to July 2024, plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth execution of the sandal donation initiative, and I look forward to its continued success.