WakaPadi is an application (platform) that is built with the primary purpose of connecting travellers and tourists most especially those who are new to a locality to guides who are well acquitted with that geographical location, especially one who understands the language of the locality if the need arises.
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"Creating an unforgettable and safe travel experience"- Samuel Egbajie/ Founder Wakapadi
Do you know that people who go on tourism are considered the real minister for enjoyment? And over time, we have delighted ourselves in the merit attached to going sightseeing, especially for pleasure or vacation but how do we deal with the barriers that come as a traveller?
It’s true that starting a new life as an immigrant or an emigrant in a new city can be overwhelming.
Oftentimes, this conflict is tied to not knowing the choices to make such as the best routes to take, affordable restaurants to visit and hotels to sleep in. All of these can be overwhelming…but hey! Wakapadi was built to help you.
WakaPadi is an application (platform) that is built with the primary purpose of connecting travellers and tourists most especially those who are new to a locality to guides who are well acquitted with that geographical location, especially one who understands the language of the locality if the need arises.
The aim is to enable travellers or tourists to find comfort and safety in the new locality while the guard earns monetarily from the service rendered.
Why a waka padi (walking guide)?
The creation of Wakapadi is an idea that first resonated with Samuel Egbajie. Coupled with Samuel’s unpleasant travelling experience to new cities, the Wakapadi project was birthed. 28 years old Samuel Egbajie led and managed the team that built the Wakapdi platform, although he was saddled with most of the backend and the frontend responsibilities.
In the words of Samuel, he stated that the creation of this product was a result of travelling to new countries and the problem faced within the first few weeks.
Recounting his experience at the United Arab Emirates, Dubai airport, how getting the right cab drivers posed a barrier since the drivers are all indigenes and cannot communicate effectively in English, not knowing how the Dubai currencies work was an obstacle for Sam who ended up spending so much within a short period of arrival.
But he was able to scale through other barriers such as navigating his way through, getting used to the environment, finding the right restaurant to eat, and a place to sleep when he was able to contact an acquaintance from Nigeria who had to abandon his work, to come to pick him.
Also, similar difficulties would have happened when he relocated to Germany as most people speak Dutch but his company came to his aid, by sending him a guide.
But what will be the fate of other travellers or immigrants who don't have access to an acquaintance or a company to come to their aid,stranded? We all can imagine such discomfort.
The user
One of the prominent factors that summarized the creation of this application is the comfort of Users.
A user is a traveller, settler, or tourist that needs the guidance of a Padi (guide) to navigate to your destination fast and safely. Users find guards on the platform in any new location by using certain discretion such as the age range, sex, and languages that are spoken.
The Frequently asked questions by users:
Q: How do I book a Padi (guide) for my trip?
A: “You can book a Padi(guide) for your trip by visiting the Padi(guide)page and selecting the Padi(guide) you want to book. You can also book a Padi(guide) by visiting the Padi(guide) profile page and selecting the Book Now button”
Q: How do I pay for my trip?
A: “You can pay for your trip by visiting the Padi(guide) page and selecting the Padi(guide) you want to book.”
Q: Can I pay with cash?
A: “Yes, you can pay with cash. You can pay with cash by visiting the Padi(guide) page and selecting the Padi (guide) you want to book. You can also book a Padi(guide) by visiting the Padi(guide) profile page and selecting the Book Now button.”
Q: What is the maximum duration of a trip?
A: “The maximum duration of a trip is as agreed between you and the Padi(guide).”
A padi
One key factor that plays in the Wakapadi platform is the availability or accessibility of a Padi(guide) which replaced the need for an acquaintance while getting to a new locality.
A Padi is like a guide who helps tourists and travellers navigate their way through new cities and get paid. The guide is booked per hour as guides determine the fee rate.
A Padi is responsible for every tourist or traveller.
Do you want to become a Padi(guide) and earn money as you guide travellers or tourists?
Here, are the requirement necessary to become a Padi(guide) on Wakapadi:
Questions people who want to become a Padi(guide) ask:
Q: How can I become a Padi(guide)?
A: “You can become a Padi(guide) by visiting the Become a Padi(guide) page and filling out the form.”
Q: How do I get paid?
A: “Payments are made through the Padi(guide) app. You can withdraw your earnings through the app monthly.”
Q: Can I get paid in cash?
A: “No, you can only get paid through the Padi(guide) app.”
Snapshot
In a Q&A with Samuel, who’s the founder and creator of Wakapdi, he shared his thoughts with us and the following conversations ensued:
Q: How did you arrive at the name Wakapadi?
A: “The name is just a combo of two pidgin English phrases Waka (Walking- translated in this context as travelling) and Padi (Friend/Pal- translated in this context as a guide)”
Q: Who’s a Padi(guide)?
A: “A Padi is a friend who guides you through”
Q: How does this product solve the language barriers travellers encounter?
A: “This problem is solved during the searching for guides process as the user has to search for guides that speak their language and the language of the locality.”
Q: Is Wakapadi for everybody?
A: “WakaPadi is very inclusive”
Q: How does the payment structure work for users and guides?
A: “The guide sets his charges and the traveller/settler/tourist accepts or declines them. They can search again if they are not comfortable with the guide’s charge.”
Q: How can we access this product?
A: "We're live already
/https://www.wakapadi.io/"
Q: How can feedback be shared with the team?
A: “A lot of contact points are added to the website
instagram: wakapadi_io
Twitter: wakapadi_
Facebook: wakapadi.io
Linkedln: Wakapadi
Email address: admin@wakapadi.io
contact: +2347030024503
Q: What are the best ways to reach the team?
A: “A lot of contact points are added to the website,
instagram: wakapadi_io
Twitter: wakapadi_
Facebook: wakapadi.io
Linkedln: Wakapadi
Email address: admin@wakapadi.io
contact: +2347030024503
Q: Can you share with us the goals and future plans of the app?
A: “We intend to scale to B2B in the future, where people can totally rely on while intending to settle or visit a new location.”
Q: What languages would you advise young developers to learn?
A: “Javascript has always been relevant but most importantly with frameworks-(Nodejs, React js, Vue, Angular, React Native etc)”
Q: What languages do you code in?
A: “MERN + Typescript”
Q: What projects or technologies are worth following?
A: “Technology evolves every day, so everything that evolves with it is worth following.
For now React, Nodejs, TypeScript and a cloud technology like AWS are not a bad combo worth following.”
CONCLUSION
Samuel argued that the tech industry has come to make the future easier. While making room for continuous learning, old things are relevant and there are new things to upskill with. Hence, the idea has always been to get better on the relevance and engage in anything new, that would be worth it.
