Tejas Ravishankar, the 15-year-old son of Sequoia India’s managing director GV Ravi Shankar, has built an app to help connect Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries to get help from locals offering to assist them with their many needs. Tejas, a software developer, built the app in just two weeks.
“Launching Refuge - To help those displaced from their homes in Ukraine. Refuge is where individuals offering help connect with those who require help,” Tejas tweeted today with the link to the app on Google Playstore.
The app has several features that include a map to find the closest help locations, verification features based on national IDs across the world, listings offering necessities like food, shelter, water, transport and medicines. A person in need can get the required help in just two clicks and the app also translates in over 12 languages, Tejas tweeted.
His father, Sequoia Capital's GV Ravi Shankar also shared the feat on Twitter and praised the younger generation for acting and not debating. He urged his son to keep working on more ideas.
“More power to the younger generation! They decide to not debate but act. Keep building @XtremeDevX! Please RT to help create impact!” he tweeted.
Tejas’ impressive Twitter bio lists his credentials as the co-founder of software company Dimension, as the co-owner of Buildergroop – a platform for Gen-Z innovators and the maker of Volt.
Days ago, Tejas had shot a tweet to Google Play urging them to approve the app as it is a time-sensitive situation for Ukraine refugees.
"Hello @GooglePlay, I've spent the past 2 weeks building an app for Ukrainian refugees to find shelter. The app was submitted for review and it still hasn't been approved. Since this is a time-sensitive situation, would appreciate if this can be expedited to help those in need!" he tweeted. The app has now been approved and can be downloaded here.
Over 10 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said. Over four million have fled to take refuge in neighbouring countries like Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova as the Russian invasion rages for over a month in the former Soviet republic.
Many locals, including elderly people, pregnant women and injured citizens are still stuck in violence-hit cities in bomb-shelters and underground bunkers.
Europeans in Ukraine’s neighbours have been helping the incoming refugees – several people in Poland waited at borders to assist Ukrainians coming into their country.
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