Pratyush Mahadevaiah
United States
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Completed in
2023
EQ Hacks is proud to announce our 2nd-place winner feature article on Reclaiming History by Pratyush Mahadevaiah.
Pratyush is a high school freshman who embarked on a journey towards equity after being inspired by a documentary on the harsh realities of land grabbing. Pratyush took it upon himself to address this issue head-on through the creation of "Reclaiming History" — a social media and Google Maps app aimed at rectifying land inequalities and restoring justice to deserving families.
Unveiling the reparation vision…do you see it too?
Pratyush has a very clear vision: he wants to build a platform where people who share his values can come together, give, and take action to stop land theft. After watching a compelling documentary on the widespread issue of unjust land grabbing in both rural United States and other countries, he became consumed with this problem. Over the following days, this real-life crisis and its potential repercussions on innocent families and children became an incessant concern. With Pratyush’s extensive research, it was revealed that a staggering 81 million acres had been sold off as a result of land grabbing. Motivated by a deep desire to make a difference, he developed an app that would unite like-minded individuals, allowing them to contribute donations and sign petitions aimed at restoring land to its rightful owners.“Reclaiming History" is an app that has the potential to enact positive change with its beautiful design and strong features.
Pratyush's Late Nights to Prototypes!
Pratyush focused on developing a slick and aesthetically beautiful mobile app and used UIzard, a UI graphic application, to accomplish his goals. The early-stage prototype demonstrates the commitment and labor put into the project during the hackathon. Here are some of the incredible jam-packed features of Reclaiming History:
Overall: This app seamlessly combines location-based search functionality, historical overlays for contextual understanding, interactive pins highlighting specific land parcels, and community discussions.
Property Search: This feature allows users to identify unfairly taken land, offering customized filters, comprehensive property profiles, user reviews, ratings, and notification alerts. By amalgamating Google Maps and property search functionality, the app aims to create a precise search feature where users can actively contribute to the cause of reclaiming lost land and protecting the rights of the youth.
Community: Reclaiming History emphasizes community building, enabling like-minded individuals to connect, share their experiences, and organize events.
Donation Drive: Through its integrated and secure donation portal, users can directly contribute funds towards initiatives dedicated to returning land to rightful families. Whether users choose to make one-time donations or recurring contributions, the platform guarantees that their financial support will be directed towards the most impactful endeavors.
Reclaiming History! Once the app has amassed sufficient funds and obtained a strong community backing, a transparent and accountable procedure is set in motion. Families with historical land are identified, and necessary legal and logistical support is provided to facilitate the transfer of acquired land parcels to its rightful owners.
“I spent a lot of late nights thinking about how I could accomplish building a prototype with the time I had. I believed a small prototype would be necessary to gain attraction.
This wasn't and has not been easy!
Pratyush faced difficulties when designing the app's user interface, but he overcame them by researching and working hard to produce a design that was eye-catching. The project's original goal of serving just young people led to a change in focus, and it was thus rebranded to appeal to families and kids everywhere.
However, he is proud of showing off his development in the hackathon, even if it is still in its prototype stage. He feels that addressing an urgent issue and working toward a practical solution is the true success. The project emphasizes the value of community involvement while also highlighting the significant strengths of personal initiative and moral codes—2 things that we loved seeing.
In EQ Hack's eyes, "Reclaiming History" is a testament to the ability of youth-led efforts to effect positive change in a world where creativity and empathy coexist—intertwined tightly together. Pratyush's journey effectively demonstrates how the goal of reclaiming history can mold a fair and just future for youth.
Check out the Pratyush's work here:
If you liked this article and enjoyed Pratyush's project, feel free to leave a comment of support on their DevPost page.
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