🌍 FoodShare Kenya - Connecting Surplus Food with Those in Need

PROJECT BY MUUSI NGUUTU NZYOKA

LIVE SITE

A Flutter-powered mobile application designed to combat hunger and food waste in Kenya by connecting restaurants with surplus food to shelters and community organizations in need.

📱 Project Overview

• Status: Active Development (Core Features Implemented)
• Type: Individual Project
• Platform: Flutter (built using iOS simulator primarily for iOS, may have issues on Android devices)
• Target Region: Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu)
• Purpose: Social Impact Application

🎯 Mission Statement

To fight hunger in Kenya by creating a direct bridge between restaurants with surplus food and shelters that need it most, while reducing food waste and building stronger communities through accessible technology.

👥 Current User Roles

🍽️ Restaurants (Food Donors)

• Post surplus food donations with photos and details
• Manage donation listings (edit, pause, cancel)
• Accept or decline requests from shelters
• Track donation history and impact
• Chat with shelters for coordination

🏠 Shelters (Food Recipients)

• Browse available food donations by location and category
• Request specific donations with personalized messages
• Filter by food type, location, and expiry time
• Track request status (pending, approved, declined)
• Chat with restaurants for pickup coordination

✨ Implemented Features

🍲 For Restaurants

• Donation Management

  • Create food listings with photos, quantities, and descriptions
  • Set pickup times and expiry dates
  • Categorize food (fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, prepared meals, etc.)
  • Location-based posting with city selection
  • Real-time status tracking (available, reserved, completed, cancelled)

• Request Handling

  • Receive and review requests from shelters
  • Accept or decline requests with optional messages
  • View shelter information and request messages
  • Automatic donation status updates when approved

• Communication

  • In-app chat system with shelters
  • Real-time messaging for coordination
  • Chat available for reserved and completed donations

🏠 For Shelters

• Food Discovery

  • Browse donations with search and filter capabilities
  • Filter by city, food category, and keywords
  • View expiry times with urgent notifications
  • See restaurant details and donation descriptions

• Request System

  • Send personalized request messages to restaurants
  • Track request status across three tabs (pending, approved, declined)
  • Prevent duplicate requests for same donation
  • View complete request history

• Communication

  • Chat with restaurants for pickup details
  • Real-time messaging system
  • Access to approved donation conversations

🔐 Authentication & User Management

• Secure user registration and login
• Role-based access (restaurant vs shelter)
• User profile management
• Business verification for restaurants

📱 User Interface

• Clean, intuitive design optimized for Kenyan users
• Tabbed navigation for easy access to features
• Real-time updates across all screens
• Mobile-first responsive design
• Kenyan city integration (Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, etc.)

🛠️ Technical Implementation

Current Tech Stack

• Frontend: Flutter (Dart)
• Backend: Firebase Firestore (NoSQL Database)
• Authentication: Firebase Auth
• Storage: Firebase Storage (for food images)
• Real-time Updates: Firestore real-time listeners
• State Management: StatefulWidget with Streams

Database Collections

• restaurants - Restaurant profile information
• shelters - Shelter profile information
• donations - Food donation listings
• requests - Shelter requests for donations
• chats - Real-time messaging between users

Key Features Implemented

• Real-time data synchronization
• Image upload and display
• Location-based filtering
• Status-based workflows
• Chat messaging system
• Request management
• Multi-user role system

📊 Current Functionality Status

✅ Completed Features

• User authentication (restaurants & shelters)
• Food donation creation and management
• Image upload for food items
• Location and category filtering
• Request system between shelters and restaurants
• Real-time chat messaging
• Donation status management
• Request status tracking
• Multi-tab organization
• Search functionality

🚧 In Development

• Firebase composite index optimization
• Performance improvements
• Bug fixes and refinements
• User experience enhancements

📋 Planned Features

• Push notifications for new donations and requests
• Impact tracking (meals saved, CO₂ offset)
• Admin dashboard for monitoring
• SMS integration for basic phone users
• Volunteer delivery coordination
• Food safety guidelines and checklists
• Multi-language support (English/Swahili)
• Analytics and reporting

🗺️ Current User Flows

Restaurant Flow

1. Register as restaurant → Create profile
2. Post food donation with photos and details
3. Receive requests from shelters
4. Accept/decline requests
5. Chat with shelters for pickup coordination
6. Mark donations as completed
7. View donation history and impact

Shelter Flow

1. Register as shelter → Create profile
2. Browse available donations by location/category
3. Send requests with personalized messages
4. Track request status (pending/approved/declined)
5. Chat with restaurants for approved donations
6. Coordinate pickup details
7. View request history

📍 Geographic Focus

Primary Cities Supported:

• Nairobi
• Mombasa
• Nakuru
• Eldoret
• Kisumu
• Other (expandable)

The app is designed specifically for the Kenyan market with local city integration and culturally appropriate design patterns.

🚀 Development Progress

Phase 1: Core MVP ✅

• User authentication system
• Basic food listing and claiming
• Restaurant and shelter profiles
• Request management system
• Real-time chat functionality

Phase 2: Enhanced Experience (Current)

• Advanced filtering and search
• Image management
• Status tracking workflows
• Performance optimization
• Database indexing completion
• UI/UX refinements

Phase 3: Scale & Impact (Next)

• Push notification system
• Impact tracking dashboard
• Admin monitoring tools
• SMS integration for accessibility
• Volunteer delivery network
• Food safety features

💽 Database Optimization

Currently implementing Firebase Firestore composite indexes for:

• Donation queries with multiple filters
• Request status tracking
• Real-time chat performance
• Location-based filtering

🌐 Social Impact Goals

Immediate Impact

• Connect surplus restaurant food with shelters in major Kenyan cities
• Reduce food waste in urban areas
• Provide reliable food access for vulnerable populations
• Build networks between restaurants and aid organizations

Long-term Vision

• Expand to rural areas and smaller cities
• Integrate volunteer delivery networks
• Add food safety and handling education
• Create comprehensive impact measurement
• Build sustainable food rescue ecosystem in Kenya

📈 Success Metrics (Planned)

• Number of meals rescued from waste
• Active restaurant and shelter partnerships
• Request fulfillment rates
• User engagement and retention
• Geographic expansion success
• Community impact stories

🤝 Community Focus

This application addresses real challenges in Kenya:

• High food waste in restaurants
• Food insecurity in urban areas
• Limited coordination between food donors and recipients
• Need for accessible technology solutions
• Building community partnerships

📞 Contact & Development

Developer: Muusi Nguutu Nzyoka
Email: muusi@nzyoka.com
Project Type: Individual Social Impact Initiative
Focus: Practical solutions for hunger and food waste in Kenya

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"Technology can bridge the gap between surplus and need. Every meal saved is a step toward a more food-secure Kenya."