TELEGRAM BOT • I18N • CAMPUS TOOLING
WSU Lost & Found Multilingual Telegram Bot
A community-driven Telegram automation system helping university students at Wolaita Sodo report, search, and reclaim lost student IDs, electronics, and documents across 3 languages.
1. The Problem at Wolaita Sodo University
Across university campuses in Ethiopia, losing essential personal items—such as student ID cards, flash drives, notebooks, and dormitory keys—is a common and stressful problem. Traditionally, students relied on crowded Telegram group chats or physical bulletin boards to broadcast lost notices. These messages were quickly buried by unrelated chat spam, making it nearly impossible for finders to connect with original owners.
Furthermore, because WSU students come from diverse linguistic regions across Ethiopia, tools exclusively in English or a single language created friction for many users.
2. System Architecture & State Management
The bot is architected as a conversational Finite State Machine (FSM). This guarantees structured data capture even across erratic network conditions common on mobile networks.
Submission Workflow:
Language Selection → Action Selection (Report / Search) → Category Filter (ID, Tech, Keys) → Details & Photo Upload → Broadcast Channel Publishing
Key Architectural Components:
- Trilingual Localization Dictionary: All UI strings, error alerts, and prompts are keyed in structured localization files supporting English, Amharic, and Afaan Oromoo.
- FSM State Handler: Guides students step-by-step through reporting an item (Category → Description → Campus Location → Contact Preference → Photo Attachment).
- Moderation & Broadcast Channel: Once an item is submitted, the bot formats a structured card and publishes it directly to a dedicated campus Telegram channel, keeping chat groups uncluttered.
- Keyword Search Engine: Students looking for missing belongings can run inline search queries (e.g.
/search student id 2026) to retrieve active listings instantly.
3. Technical Challenges & Solutions
Challenge A: Ge'ez Script (Amharic) Normalization
Amharic text input presents unique phonetic variations where different characters represent similar sounds (e.g., ሃ, ሐ, ኀ, or ጸ and ፀ). A direct database equality query often missed matches due to alternate character choices.
Solution:
Built a custom Ge'ez character normalization utility in Python that maps phonetic homophones to canonical representations prior to database indexing and search matching.
Challenge B: Preventing Scam Reclaims & Privacy
Publicly exposing high-value items (e.g., expensive calculators, cash, smartphones) invites fraudulent claims from bad actors.
Solution:
For sensitive items, the bot withholds specific identifiers (such as serial numbers, lock screen wallpapers, or distinctive markings). Claimants must answer a verification question set by the finder before contact details are released.
4. Community Impact & Results
By replacing disorganized group chatter with an automated, searchable repository, the bot significantly reduced the time required to recover lost campus belongings while demonstrating the practical power of accessible student-built software in Ethiopia.