FIRST Global Team Kenya
The official home of FIRST Global Team Kenya, bringing the team's story, student applications, supporter payments, and program updates into one place.
- Client
- FIRST Global Team Kenya
Next.js 16 · PostgreSQL · Prisma · Supabase · Tailwind CSS v4 · shadcn/ui · Pesapal · Web Push · Tiptap · Recharts · TypeScript
Live Website
01 Product overview
What the product does
The official digital home for FIRST Global Team Kenya, the team that won Silver at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025. It serves prospective students applying to represent Kenya, supporters funding the program, and the community following the team's work. The platform handles student applications, admin review, organizational stories, and supporter payments.
02 Problem and context
What it needed to solve
Team Kenya had no centralized digital presence. Applications were handled through scattered forms, organizational history was undocumented, and there was no way for supporters to engage or contribute directly. The team needed a professional platform that reflected the caliber of their international competition performance.
03 My contribution
What I worked on
- Designed and built the complete application from scratch using Next.js 16 and PostgreSQL
- Implemented the student application system with multi-step forms and admin review workflow
- Built OTP-based authentication and web push notification system
- Integrated Pesapal for Kenyan payment processing
- Created the content management system with Tiptap rich text editor for organizational stories and updates
05 Engineering and outcomes
Implementation details
System
- Next.js 16.1 with App Router, server components, and server actions
- PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM and Supabase for hosting and real-time capabilities
- OTP-based authentication system for secure student and admin access
- Web Push notifications for application status updates and organizational announcements
- Pesapal payment integration for Kenyan mobile money and card payments
- Tiptap rich text editor for content management
- shadcn/ui component library with Kenyan flag-inspired design identity
- Recharts for data visualization of organizational metrics and impact
Verified results
- 2025 Silver MedalTeam Kenya won Silver at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025, the team's best international result.
- Application SystemEnd-to-end student application pipeline with admin review, status tracking, and automated notifications.
- Payment IntegrationPesapal integration supporting mobile money and card payments for supporters and sponsors.
Lessons
- Non-profit platforms need to balance storytelling with utility. The history pages drive engagement, but the application system drives organizational operations.
- Pesapal integration in Kenya requires handling mobile money edge cases that standard payment processors do not account for.
- Push notifications have surprisingly low opt-in rates. Email remains the reliable fallback for critical communications.