Chronicle Editor
Sijabuliso Nyoni, Sunday Life Reporter
A BULAWAYO-BASED techno entrepreneur and software developer from Cowdray Park Thamsanqa Bhala has developed a free announcement application for schools that allows schools to send announcements to parents and students.
The 30-year-old self-taught developer who is studying Electrical Engineering at Westgate Industrial Training College was engaged by school heads to create the IIorut application for free.
“I was approached by various heads of schools to create the software for free and I did as I’m doing this with passion. The app allows schools to send out announcements to parents for free via the IIorut mobile app where parents will receive the information at the comfort of their homes,” Bhala said.
The new application is now being used by over 10 Bulawayo schools to send their announcements at zero cost.
“At the moment more than 10 Bulawayo schools including Founders High School, Kumalo Primary School, Greenfield, Milton High School, Moray Primary School and Tennyson Primary School have started using the app to send out announcements to parents and students,” he said.
Innovative Bhala, who wants schools to move from using the old ways of communication and adopt digital modern ones expressed delight in how the app has made it easier for the schools in delivering messages to parents.
“Schools and parents should adopt new digital ways of sending and receiving information as we are driving towards digitalisation. Parents should use the IIorut application and shun the old ways where they will have to write letters and make announcements that pupils will physically carry to their parents, most students lose the information on their way but with use of such software it has now become easier,” Mr Bhala emphasised.
Bhala said the new application that was launched at the beginning of the year will help schools to cut costs for publishing information.
“The mobile app is available for Android phones and can be downloaded from Google Play Store, the requirements for signing up are a valid email address and mobile phone number, the last six digits of the phone number are automatically the password, tutorials are also available on YouTube channel,” Bhala said.
Online Reporter