JENA – Time Bank (Senior Engagement Platform) wins Rep. Gabe Amo’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Rhode Island’s First District

When asked what inspired the creation of JENA – Time Bank (Senior Engagement Platform), the student said, “Growing up with both parents working, I was mainly raised by my grandparents. They always had many friends around, and all of them treated me like their own granddaughter, sharing their wisdom and knowledge with me. There’s a saying that goes, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and I think that describes my childhood well. 

The seniors that are rich in experiences and the talents that they accumulated from their long life are considered social assets in the society. As the population of the seniors has been gradually growing, social assets are abundant in the society. However, on the other side, the underprivileged children, who could not be educated, desire the people who can give them the talent. I found the irony: if there are an overflowing number of the seniors with talents and knowledge as well as the desire to work, why can’t we connect them with the children, just like my grandparents’ friends helped me?

Most of the retired seniors I met loved to spend time with children, which has become rare due to the decline of large families. This is a problem, as there are many underprivileged children who lack access to education and need guidance and support. I wanted to create a connection between these two groups to give them a chance to interact.

For the past two years, I have been working on the social venture, ‘JENA’, which aims to offer the ‘missing link.’ JENA is an app that connects seniors seeking volunteer work, and children seeking education and advice. With the numerous conversations and tests had with the seniors, I have succeeded in developing an application which seniors can easily use. 

I am committed to running JENA for many years because I believe it is the best way to make the community around me a better place.”