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Smylee’s partnership with Onja

by | Jul 27, 2022 | Everything local events

Want to transform your social and professional life by making daily events easier to organize? Take the first steps by downloading the Smylee app today.


In another example of its ongoing commitment to building a truly global community with a people-centric ethos, Smylee is thrilled to announce the launch of its new long-term partnership with software development company Onja with immediate effect.
Smylee CEO Skye Butler explains “with Onja connecting us to two world-class software developers in Rosny Ratsianompo and Kati Fanomezantsoa, the future of our incredible social planning app looks brighter than ever, allowing us to harness innovation through diversity and the wonderful enthusiasm brought to the table by two incredible additions to our team”.

What is Onja?

Onja is a non-profit social enterprise based in Madagascar that supports capable teenagers and young adults from underprivileged backgrounds in transforming their lives by training them into the world-class software developers of tomorrow.
Crucially, in addition to training students to develop relevant tech skills, Onja places students in paid software development positions within global tech teams. Smylee is proud to have joined that network and will now be working with some of Africa’s very top talent.

Smylee welcomes Rosny Ratsianompo and Kati Fanomezantsoa

Butler said, “thanks to the help of our latest partnership, not only have we added another wonderful charity to our app for people to pledge towards, the Smylee team has been strengthened by the addition of two more developers in Ratsianompo and Fanomezantsoa, who have already started work on exploring ways to improve the existing functionalities of the app and will partner with the team to deliver enhancements that will continue to increase the apps performance, allowing us to roll out a beta version of the app worldwide by the end of 2022 to our existing and new community of social planners”.

Ratsianompo is a talented developer who grew up in Andromba and joined Onja’s program before being selected by the Smylee team to use her skills to work on enhancements of the app, including bug fixes and new solutions geared towards driving a better UX. Her creative mindset is highlighted further by a passion for music and art.

Fanomezantsoa supports Smylee’s front-end development team, tasked with implementing user-facing changes that will significantly enhance the Smylee experience for app users across all devices. Born in South East Madagascar, she joined Onja in 2019 and completed several volunteering roles in addition to her software developer training. With a continued commitment to personal and professional growth, her love of nature and seeing its beauty translates to understanding what users want to see, with her work set to make a big difference as Smylee embarks on its next chapter.

Two developers who represent Onja in style

Onja’s impressive record of building world-class developers is highlighted by the fact that these developers have gained professional experience at major companies in the US and across Europe, including the UK and Germany. Developers also have technical proficiency in HTML5, CSS, SASS, JavaScript, React, Redux, React Native, and TypeScript while also achieving advanced English skills and communication. Ratsianompo and Fanomezantsoa have become two of the latest developers to share their talents globally, thanks to their placement at Smylee.

There are over 26 million software developers on the planet right now, and the demand continues to grow. Onja’s role is changing this landscape and helping skilled youth who previously would not have had the opportunities to shine, which is certainly changing lives for the better.

Onja Developer Sandy Raveloarisoa said: “I had never heard of coding before and I came here to Onja in hope of getting a good salary as a coder to help pay for my siblings’ education. Now, all that is possible since I became a professional front-end developer and I love my job.”

The perfect partner for Smylee’s growing community

Smylee is all about building a positive and reliable community for their valued users and firmly believe that this ethos starts with them which is why it continues to be harnessed through their inclusive and “people first” approach. From giving back on #GivingTuesday to celebrating their diverse network of Charity partners, their ambition and values sit at the heart of everything they do. The partnership with Onja fits perfectly with their ongoing commitment to improving lives and creating positive connections.
With 57% of Americans now spending at least five hours on their smartphones daily, Smylee aims to help everyone use that time more effectively, which is demonstrated through the app functionalities. The partnership between Smylee and Onja is another awesome reason for users to make moments that matter happen, by using the Smylee app to encourage themselves and others to reliably show up to their next event.

To discover the life-changing benefits that this social planning app offers, download the Smylee app on the Apple or Google Play stores today.