Moldova Hackathon: Apps to Fight Senior Loneliness
The Republic of Moldova faces an ongoing ageing population, and loneliness is a major problem for older adults.
To address this issue, a hackathon brought together 40 young people who created applications designed for older adults.
The winning application, premiated with $15,000, was developed by Cristian Crețu and his team from the Technical University of Moldova. Their platform offers easily accessible information for seniors, including news and details about social services.
Other teams presented diverse projects, including:
- An application creating a link between Instagram and Messenger, allowing families to easily send photos to grandparents.
- A platform facilitating the organisation of meetings on various themes, both in Chișinău and in other localities.
All applications are intended for use by individuals over the age of 60 in the Republic of Moldova. One beneficiary, Ilie Gore, expressed appreciation for the initiative: "These platforms are very welcome, they will bring benefits to the elderly. The greatest joy is that young people do not forget about the elderly and get involved."
The hackathon's goal was to support older adults, including refugees. According to the Republic of Moldova's Active Aging Index, less than a third of people over the age of 55 have opportunities for an active and healthy life.
"We are in a hackathon that has brought together over 40 young people from the IT sector to devise an innovative solution to support lonely seniors, seniors with various health problems, seniors who have relatives abroad, and other vulnerable categories," stated Aliona Cristei, program expert.
The event was supported by the United Nations Population Fund in Moldova and funded by the Government of the United Kingdom.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
