Natural disasters always strike us hard no matter how hard we came prepared. Lack of information often cause some place got left behind after the disasters. 4 students from Chulalongkorn University aim to solve this problem by connecting volunteers and victims together to build a strong community with their solution call Terra Project. The team is consist of Kriangkrai Pipatvilaikul, Wannapon Suraworachet, Tanon Sirawan and Jirapat Yaovatsakul. No one shall get left behind anymore with Terra Project.

They will be represent Thailand in Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Final in Software Design category at New York City this coming 8th – 13th of July 2011 together with their team mentor Dr. Krung Sinapiromsaran. They will be competing with teams around the world. I’m lucky enough to get contact with them and learn about their story as one of the Microsoft Student Partner (MSP) Social Media Team.

Q: Tell us about your project?

Imagine the world where people are helping others. As the large scale of natural disasters are suddenly happened everyday, people should beware of themselves and beloved ones. Terra Project is the project developed for connecting volunteers and victims together to build a strong community. We have seen how when a large scale natural disaster comes, there would always be lack in number of officials [firemen, rescue team, civil workers] to help all the victims in crisis. Every person with the will to help should be notified where their help is needed. Terra Project is created for connecting individual victims to potential volunteers around them. You can tell people across various your social network sites about what is going on with you and where you are, with just simply One Click! With our various functionalities and tools, we ensure that the world where people are helping each other is no longer an imagination.

Q: Why did you create this project? What inspired you to create this project?

Not long before Imagine Cup 2011 started, Thailand was crushed with the greatest rain flood in its history. Over million households were damaged. However, only those villages that made it to the Television news were acknowledged and received huge showers of aids, while the others were completely ignored.

Our team had a chance to visit one of the ‘less acknowledged’ village on the university trip. Help did not come to this village, even as there are over millions of volunteers willing to help, because they don’t know any information, and it took experimental courage for our tour guide to lead us here. From this trip, we wish to create an application that will be the center for each volunteer and each victim to communicate in times of natural disasters, so that no one shall be unacknowledged anymore.

Q: Is this your first time joining Imagine Cup? How does it feel like?

Two of us joined Imagine Cup before this while other two are newly to this competition. The first participation was ended up because previous team did not have a good enough plan. We could not develop software on time. Thus, we try to learn from past that we will never give up again. This time we got an opportunity by being selected as a winner team from Thailand. We have never ever imagined that we could reach this point before! It is really unbelievable! Thus, we will do our best to achieve this competition. 🙂

Q: How has your participation in the Imagine Cup impacted your life?

Life with Imagine Cup is so exciting! Once we are the winner of Thailand, crowds are staring at us. Although we have to work hard on our project, all supports and opportunities come out every way! We gain lots of experience that will be the most precious moment of our lives!

Q: What is your plan on your project after Imagine Cup 2011?

We believe that everyone can be a part of the better world only if we work together to achieve it! Therefore, we will make Terra Project the central ground that ultimately integrate and unite all people and social networks together into the world largest community of volunteers. We have seen how mankind has overcome disasters when we work together, and from now on, we will make it much easier to unite and collaborate people together in face of natural disasters, with just one click.

“Imagine the better world, Imagine a better life, Imagine every possibility, join Imagine Cup!”

by Team NewKrean from Thailand, Imagine Cup 2011

Find out the latest update from Team NewKrean by liking the team on Facebook fans page or follow them through Twitter. You can also stay tune in my blog for more update on Team NewKrean and event of Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Final at New York City or follow the official Imagine Cup fans page or Twitter.

by Ooi Keng Siang – MSPSMT via Ooiks’s Blog