RIYADH: Two Saudi students have used their coding and app-building skills to shine a spotlight on social issues.
Afrah bin Jubeir and Jawaher Al-Anzi recently showcased their abilities at Apple's Swift Student Challenge and were named among the top coding winners.
“This challenge provides us with a platform to acquire skills that can be applied in the real world. I am very much looking forward to sharing the solutions and innovations that I develop,” said Jubeir. Masu. “This is an opportunity to not only improve my knowledge and skills, but also to make a positive impact on the technology community.”
Passionate about the ocean and marine life, the 26-year-old created an app called Fin's Adventure. It was developed not only as a fun game, but also as an educational tool to promote awareness about marine environmental issues and the importance of marine conservation.
“The game revolves around a fish character named 'Finn' who tries to survive in an ocean filled with plastic debris,” Jubeir told Arab News. “Players must help Finn avoid these threats and promote awareness about the importance of keeping the oceans clean.”
The inspiration behind “The Adventures of Finn” came after Jubeir attended a conference and realized that games have the important ability to convey educational messages and raise awareness.
“The Adventures of Finn'' by Ahura bin Jubeir. was developed not only as a fun game, but also as an educational tool to raise awareness of marine environmental issues.
She has designed an exciting and educational game to introduce players to the negative effects of plastic pollution and encourage them to take small steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
“The fun and interactive delivery method makes this game an effective tool that engages both children and adults and contributes to behavior change in the long term,” she said.
Mr. Jubeir began his professional training by joining the Apple Developer Academy in September 2023. After developing her software skills and understanding of advanced technology during the nine-month program, she decided to apply for the Swift Student Challenge.
She said other students considering applying should first make sure they understand the requirements. Before you move on to developing a seamless design and engaging user experience, you need to start with a unique idea that addresses a specific problem.
“Ask friends and acquaintances for feedback to improve your projects. Remember that every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn and progress. Even if you don't win, the opportunity itself will reflect your experience. and teach us,” she said.
Al Anji, a 27-year-old from Riyadh, competed against 350 other students from 35 countries to be selected as one of 50 outstanding winners of the challenge.
Her app 'My Child' aims to help children with speech disorders and was inspired by her own story.
Jawaher Al-Anzi's app “My Child” aims to help children with language disorders.
As a child, after the death of her grandfather, she developed a stutter. She eventually got over it and a few years later she started training at her Apple Developer Academy in Riyadh.
“Building the application took about a month, from coming up with the idea to implementing it,” she told Arab News.
“This application contributes to the solution of stuttering for all members of the community of various age groups. We hope that it will be available for download from the App Store in the near future.”
She said her experience participating in Apple's competitions paved the way for her to create apps.
“In addition to creating applications that contribute to supporting society as a whole, this is also an opportunity to learn how to create applications and build projects and new technologies.”
When asked what advice she would give to others hoping to follow in her footsteps, she said it's the same advice she was given at Apple Academy. She said, “Anyone can write code.”
