Many adoption agencies still rely on paper-based systems, making it challenging to track a child’s journey, monitor donations, or maintain consistent adoption records. Inspired by these challenges, Elizabeth Avevor ’26 and Phiwayinkhosi Precious Lukhele ’26 are building Adoptify, a digital platform designed to bring organization, transparency, and security to child welfare processes.

Adoptify integrates secure databases for child records, workflow tools for welfare officers, and selective blockchain features for transparent donation tracking. This ensures that sensitive information remains protected while accessible to authorized users. The platform aims to strengthen trust, improve coordination across institutions, and support better outcomes for children and families. “While we haven’t lived in orphanages ourselves, we can understand the sense of uncertainty and vulnerability it can create,” Avevor shared. “It is from that place of empathy that this work began.”

Human-centered research has guided the team’s approach. They have mapped Ghana’s social welfare system, engaged key stakeholders, analyzed operational gaps, and translated these insights into system requirements grounded in real-world needs. The team is now designing the platform’s architecture and preparing for prototype testing, with a strong focus on usability and data protection. A pivotal insight emerged during the process. Adoptify’s impact extends beyond orphanages. The platform could support a broader ecosystem of welfare agencies, social workers, and nonprofits that rely on accurate records and secure communication to serve vulnerable populations effectively.

Looking ahead, Avevor ’26 and Lukhele ’26 hope Adoptify will help pave the way for safer, more efficient child welfare systems nationwide. Their work demonstrates how technology can protect vulnerable children and strengthen the institutions meant to serve them.