High school students create money transfer application

St Joseph's Rapogi principal Maurice Otunga during an interview at his school on 21/5/2018. Two form 3 students from his school have invented a money transfer system that can be used in various institutional transactions. (Sammy Omingo, Standard)

When anyone thinks of developing a mobile cash transfer platform, much less by high schools students, the idea seems far-fetched.

But Teddy Okatch and Shadrack Oguta dared to dream and have successfully developed a money transfer system through which parents can directly deposit their children’s pocket money with the school accounts clerk.

The Form Three students at St Joseph’s Rapogi High School in Migori County say the creative idea was born out of a bad experience from manual handling of money.

“Our parents usually send us pocket money through our teachers using mobile money transfer systems. But at times the teachers find it difficult to record these transactions and, as a result, incur losses or some students lose money. But with a system like this, things may be easier,” says Oguta.

Top five

The idea was among the top five best presentations in this year’s Kenya Science and Engineering Fair held at Kibabii High School in April.

The system developed using a Microsoft Access application is specifically meant for the school and its community, including students, teachers, parents and school workers and suppliers.

A user has to install the App in their smart phone from the Google Play Store. It can also be installed in personal computers.

No user can be accepted for registration unless they are first identified by the general database, which must be kept by the school management. For example, if it is a school supplier who wants to register, he must be known and his names and details reflected in the school records as a supplier. This is meant to ward off “strangers”.

Own account

For students, upon enrolling in Form One, their details – names, admission number and class – are registered and their accounts activated.

Each user has their own account which is accessed using a password.

The users are classified into adults and students. Adults can transact to students; adults can transact with other adults or both adults and students transacting with the administrator.

The transactions supported include cash withdrawal, deposit and donation to other users through a specially designed account, which, according to the students, is meant for philanthropy.

The money being transacted must first be deposited into the school accounts through the accounts clerk’s office.

Interestingly, the system supports the use of several languages, including English, Kiswahili, Dholuo, Kikuyu and many others.

Okatch says the idea was conceived when he was sharing with other learners on how they can strengthen the school’s financial system to enhance efficiency.

“Our school being a model of excellence in science subjects, I have always wished to set its standards high by coming up with an innovative idea like this one,” says Okatch.

Rapogi is one of the few schools recently selected as model centres for Science, Mathematics and Engineering.

Principal Maurice Otunga says the school has turned into an ICT hub that has produced competent technology professionals.

“We will continue supporting such young minds because we know they are the ones who can define our country’s future in terms of innovations for better lives,” says Otunga.