Flutter

Diaspora Connect

Overview

Building Diaspora Connect has been one of my most ambitious and rewarding experiences as a full-stack developer and system tester. The goal was clear: to unite the global Congolese diaspora by providing a platform for networking, sharing resources, and supporting businesses and communities. Today, the app is live on Google Play and the App Store, with users joining every day.

But getting here was no easy task—I faced technical challenges, authentication hurdles, user feedback struggles, and infrastructure scaling issues. Through this project, I deepened my expertise in cross-platform development, backend integrations, authentication security, CI/CD automation, and cloud-based hosting solutions.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

1. Mobile App Development with Flutter

  • Chose Flutter as the primary framework for cross-platform development, enabling a single codebase for both iOS and Android.
  • Leveraged Flutter’s widget system to create a modern, intuitive UI with smooth animations for an engaging user experience.
  • Implemented Redux for efficient state management, ensuring scalability as the app grew in complexity.

2. Backend & Content Management System (CMS)

  • Integrated Directus (Headless CMS) + Node.js extensions to handle dynamic content and user-generated posts.
  • Designed a scalable API-first architecture, making it easier to expand functionalities in the future.
  • Implemented real-time content updates using Firebase for instant synchronization between users.

3. Authentication & Security (OAuth 2.0)

  • Integrated Google and Facebook login for seamless and secure user authentication.
  • Overcame challenges in Facebook authentication approval by complying with strict Meta platform guidelines.
  • Resolved Google SHA key configuration issues, ensuring smooth authentication across different build environments.

4. Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure (AWS + Docker)

  • Deployed the backend and website using AWS Lightsail Containers, ensuring cost-effective scalability.
  • Implemented Docker to standardize deployment environments across development, staging, and production.
  • Optimized server response times and database queries to improve performance for a growing user base.

5. CI/CD Automation & Deployment

  • Configured GitHub for version control, ensuring a structured workflow with pull requests and code reviews.
  • Implemented CI/CD pipelines with Bitbucket Pipelines, automating builds, testing, and deployments.
  • Used Fastlane to streamline mobile app releases to Google Play and the App Store, reducing deployment time.

6. Website Development & Branding

  • Built a custom WordPress theme from scratch, ensuring unique branding and optimized performance.
  • Implemented SEO best practices to enhance search engine visibility for Diaspora Connect.

Challenges & Lessons Learned

Authentication Complexity: OAuth Integration

🔹 Challenge: Facebook authentication required legal approvals, and Google login had SHA key configuration issues.
✅ Solution: Worked through Meta’s strict approval process and manually signed debug/production keystores for Firebase authentication.

Handling User Feedback & UI Design Iterations

🔹 Challenge: Different users had conflicting design preferences, making it hard to finalize the homepage layout and user flow.
✅ Solution: Used Balsamiq Mockups to prototype multiple layouts before implementation and focused on common feedback trends.

Scaling Infrastructure for Growth

🔹 Challenge: As more users joined, hosting and backend performance needed optimization.
✅ Solution: Expanded AWS infrastructure and optimized database queries, ensuring faster response times.

Technologies & Tools Used

  • Mobile Development: Flutter, Dart
  • State Management: Redux
  • Backend & CMS: Directus, Node.js Extensions
  • Real-Time Features: Firebase (Cloud Firestore, Cloud Messaging)
  • Hosting & Infrastructure: AWS Lightsail, Docker
  • Authentication: OAuth 2.0 (Google & Facebook Login)
  • CI/CD & Deployment: GitHub, Bitbucket Pipelines, Fastlane
  • Website: Custom WordPress Theme, AWS Lightsail Hosting

Impact & Outcomes

✔️ Launched Diaspora Connect successfully on both Google Play & App Store, attracting a growing user base.
✔️ Built a scalable cloud infrastructure capable of supporting real-time features and increased traffic.
✔️ Streamlined mobile app deployment, making releases faster and more reliable.
✔️ Gained expertise in OAuth authentication, overcoming complex approval processes.

Future Plans & Next Steps

🚀 Enhance AWS hosting to accommodate more users and features.
🌍 Improve UI/UX based on user engagement analytics.
💡 Introduce additional real-time features, including live events and business networking tools.

Final Thoughts: A Journey of Growth & Innovation

Building Diaspora Connect has been an incredible journey of innovation, problem-solving, and resilience. I’ve grown tremendously as a full-stack developer, system tester, and entrepreneur, gaining real-world insights into fintech, mobile app scalability, and cloud hosting.

This is just the beginning—I look forward to expanding Diaspora Connect, refining its features, and helping create a stronger digital space for the global Congolese diaspora.

March 16, 2025