Single mother empowers other mothers through innovative new app
Halfway Gardens single mother Melinta Iyaloo has created the La Luma app to help connect other single mothers together for them to get the help they need.
Melinta Iyaloo is a single mom who has created an app to connect other single mothers, and help them gain support from one another.
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The 44-year-old Halfway Gardens resident is an author, a creative, an innovator, and a devoted single mom of two. With a 13-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, she says navigating that, plus work and social life, made her realise that there are probably more mothers experiencing the same thing too. “I often see the struggles that mothers come across with no support, so I thought this app would be a way that they could get that support and relief that we, as mothers, need. I wanted to create an app, not just for biological mothers, but also for grandmothers, aunts, or sisters.”
Iyaloo did her research and developed the app, called Lu Lama, which means the light, to bring relief to a lot of single mothers. The app was launched on May 1, mainly developed to assist mothers with connecting through the app to give and get ideas on navigating motherhood trials.
Of course, creating the app wasn’t without its challenges. “The app is up and running, but I have been struggling to get it on Google Playstore. I’m definitely working on getting it there so that people can download from there, but, for now, people can access it on the website.
“Another challenge I’m facing is funding. I have new features I would like to get in the app but having the funds to do so is not that easy, so I would like to kindly ask anyone, or any company, that would love to assist to please do so.”
Through the app, mothers will be able to babysit for each other whenever they need to run some errands, or get advice on which companies are reliable for services, such as plumbing or electrical work.
Lyaloo adds that the app will be safe because there is a safety feature that will make sure that no one can pretend to be a mother, and take advantage of vulnerable women.
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To further empower and help single mothers, Iyaloo wrote a book titled 10 Things That Nobody Tells You, but We’ll Laugh Anyway, as a guide and a hug for single mothers.
Single mothers who would like to get the app, La Luma, can get it at lalumalife.com.
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