Schoolgirl Flourish Olushola creates ‘Whistleblower’ app to combat gender violence 

Flourish Olushola new ‘Whistleblower’ app works by educating the user on the meaning of gender-based violence, how to combat it and where to go if you need help.

The schoolgirl’s app will offer important resources to help tackle gender-based violence
By I Love Limerick correspondent Ava O’Donoghue

Limerick schoolgirl Flourish Olushola ‘Whistleblower’ app was designed to combat gender-based violence, and has earned her first prize in the junior division of the Technovation Awards.   

Each year, Technovation invites teams of girls from around the world to learn and apply the skills needed to solve real-world problems through technology. Around 1,800 apps were created by 5,900 teenage girls during this year’s programme. 

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The Colaiste Nano Nagle student originally intended to enter the competition with an app to help tackle climate change, but after hearing about the shocking murder of Offaly primary school teacher Aisling Murphy, she decided she was going to be a part of the change needed to tackle gender-based violence instead.

The app, ‘Whistleblower’, was designed by Flourish with support from TeenTurn, a start-up designed to help young teenage girls to gain hands-on experience in STEM and support them in acquiring qualifications and jobs – an area in which females are underrepresented.

‘Whistleblower’ works by educating the user on the meaning of gender-based violence, how to combat it and where to go if you need help.

“I didn’t expect to win anything as it was my first time doing any sort of coding, but I somehow managed to win first place in the Junior Division and I won a brand-new HP Chromebook. I was over the moon,” Flourish said of her huge achievement.

The excitement is not over for Flourish, as she awaits the results from the next-stage Global Technovation Awards. She has already begun planning new ideas to make her app more secure, such as adding disguise features to protect users and prevent them from stalking and harassment.

Congratulations on this incredible achievement, Flourish!

For more information on Technovation, go HERE 

For more stories on Colaiste Nano Nagle, go HERE