zindaba007/Cyber-Blueprint-5

Community Finance Hub - A digital platform for savings groups and cooperative in Malawi # Community Finance Hub (CFH) ## Team CYBER BLUEPRINT 5 ## Project Overview Community Finance Hub (CFH) is a digital platform designed to help community savings groups, village banks, cooperatives, and small businesses manage their finances efficiently. The platform replaces paper-based record keeping with a secure digital system, making it easier to track savings, loans, repayments, member contributions, and financial transactions. ## Problem Statement Many community financial groups in Malawi still rely on manual record keeping. This often leads to lost records, calculation errors, lack of transparency, and inefficient financial management. ## Proposed Solution Community Finance Hub provides an easy-to-use digital solution that enables users to: - Record savings and member contributions. - Manage loan applications and repayments. - Track financial transactions. - Generate financial reports. - Improve transparency and accountability. ## Technology Stack - Frontend: React Native (Expo) - Backend: Node.js, Express - Database: MongoDB (Mongoose) - Real-time updates: Socket.IO ## Hackathon National Virtual Hackathon for Financial Innovation in Malawi 2026 ## Team Name CYBER BLUEPRINT 5 --- ## Getting Started (Setup Guide) This guide was written for judges and organizers who may not have a development background. Follow the steps in order. This project was developed and tested on Linux, so the system-wide installation steps below are written for Linux. ### 1. Install Node.js and npm Open a terminal and run: ```bash sudo apt update sudo apt install nodejs npm -y ``` Confirm it installed correctly: ```bash node -v npm -v ``` ### 2. Install MongoDB ```bash sudo apt update sudo apt install -y mongodb sudo systemctl start mongodb sudo systemctl enable mongodb ``` This installs MongoDB and starts it running in the background so the backend can connect to it. ### 3. Install Git ```bash sudo apt install git -y ``` ### 4. Install Expo Go on Your Phone This pr …