Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp.

13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

DEVELOPING AN AUTOMATED ORPHANAGE

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
1
ONYEMAOBI B. C. and 2ADIGUN M. F.

1
Department of Computer Science, Salem University Lokoja, Kogi State Nigeria.
2
Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Bells University of
Technology Otta, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

Majority of Orphanage in Nigeria lose personal details and information of orphans over a
period of time as they make use of paper logs and manual entries for tracking orphanage
records. These methods make it difficult to efficiently manage orphans data and to inform
decisions at different levels. This study is in two folds. We analysed and examined the pros and
cons of having a web based information system for orphanage management, and also designed
and implemented a web based information system for management of orphanages. The system
we developed keeps track of the orphans, the helps received by the orphanage and members of
the public who rendered these helps. The study also explored orphan care in Ministry of Mercy
(MoM) Orphanage Lokoja, Kogi State of Nigeria, identified the problems in the orphanage and
suggested ICT measures that would improve the role of orphanages in orphan care. Waterfall
methodology was used to develop this system; the perceived advantages of the waterfall
process are that it allows for departmentalization and managerial control. Implementing a
sound and secure Web-based Information System for the orphan home requires accuracy,
privacy, prevention of double input of same record, proper recordings of donations and charity,
proper status update of the orphans. This system can play a vital role in improving the living
standards of the orphans as any person from any part of the world as well as show and give
support for the orphans.

KEYWORDS: Orphan, Orphanage Management System, Information System, Rich

Internet Application, Web-Based Information Systems

Corresponding Author* Email: conyemaobi@yahoo.com

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

INTRODUCTION

It is an undeniable fact that humans can lose someone or something so dear to them. In losing
several things, there are few things humans should never lose. One of these few things is one‟s
identity. When children become orphaned or abandoned, it is the responsibility of the society
especially the Orphan Care Centre who takes it as an obligation to cater for the child, to
preserve and protect the child‟s identity as this may be requested for several years to come by
the child. This makes availability and use of web based information systems very important.
Web-based information system (WIS) is an information system which uses Internet web
technologies for delivering information and services to users. This technology is a Rich
Internet Application (RIA) and is used to publish and maintain data by hypertext principle.
Web-based information system is the combination of one or more web applications, specific
functionality-oriented components (Onyemaobi and Ajah, 2017). Basically in this type of
information system web browser is used as a front end and all the databases are used as
backend.
An Orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans- children whose
biological parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care of them. The web-
based information system for the orphanage is simply the process employed by the Orphan
Home Management to digitally create, collect, store, manipulate and relay the Orphanage
information so as to achieve stated objectives. The system gives online access to donors and
streamlined operations that will reduce paper based transactions to the barest minimum. This
RIA is developed for a specific Orphanage, Ministry of Mercy (MoM) Orphanage which is
located at Anisha-Village, Abuja/Okene Express Road, Oworo Land, Lokoja, Kogi State
Nigeria. Currently the orphanage is using manual method to carry out its daily activities and
thus the following problems are encountered: Poor storage of records because the records are
kept in a file cabinet, wastage of stationary materials as a result of manual errors. Information
documented using manual filing system can easily be damaged by fire or other forms of
disasters. Uncertainty about the accuracy of information recorded on paper. The rate at which
the work is being carried out is very slow, therefore information are gotten very late.
This study is aimed at developing a web-based information system that will enable the
management of Ministry of Mercy (MoM) Orphanage keep efficient, reliable, accessible and
accurate records of orphans.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study Location
The existing system in Ministry of Mercy Orphanage is using manual filing system. No
computerized system for record keeping has been implemented. The staff fills in the details of
new orphans and donors in a paper form. When completed, the details form will be placed in a
new file and will be kept in a specific drawer of cupboard. Each cupboard has label for
different sections.
Advantages of Existing system: manual filing systems are less complex than electronic
systems, which can make it easier for untrained people to access and manipulate data. Anyone
can look through alphabetized filing cabinets to find a file. Manipulating electronic database

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

information may require technical training, and user error can result in unintended alterations
or data loss.

Disadvantages of the existing system: One of the primary disadvantages of manual file systems
is the time it takes to access data. It can take minutes if not hours to locate a few files in a large
paper filing system. Electronic databases allow for almost instantaneous access to information.
Manual file systems are cumbersome in that they do not allow users to easily edit files or send
information to others. Paper files often cannot be edited directly, forcing users to make new
copies to update old files. Data can get out of order in manual file systems. If someone
accidentally puts a file in the wrong place, or takes a file out of a cabinet and forgets to put it
back, it can lead to lost data or the creation of additional copies of files. The existing system
does not enhance information sharing and services as the website does not carry the images and
profile of the orphans. The existing system has no module that allows donors and sponsors to
ask and receive answers to their questions.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPED SYSTEM

The developed system is aimed at having a web-based management system for Ministry of
Mercy (MoM) Orphanage, Kogi State. The system would include the pictures and basic profile
of the orphans; it would be an interactive system so that donors and interested sponsors can
make desired enquiries, a database management system would be implemented for storing
details of orphans and donors.

THE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY

A software development methodology or system development methodology in software
engineering is a framework that is used to structure, plan, and control the process of developing
an information system. Waterfall model was used for the new system development. The
waterfall model is a popular version of the systems development life cycle model for software
engineering. Often considered the classic approach to the systems development life cycle, the
waterfall model describes a development method that is rigid and linear. Waterfall
development has distinct goals for each phase of development where each phase is completed
before the next one is started and there is no turning back (Dixon, et al., 2006).
The perceived advantages of the waterfall process are that it allows for departmentalization and
managerial control. A schedule is typically set with deadlines for each stage of development
and a product can proceed through the development process. In theory, this process leads to the
project being delivered on time because each phase has been planned in detail. Based on a
book “Software Engineering” written by Diwan (2002), a sample waterfall life cycle comprises
the following phases:
(a) Requirements analysis and specification
(b) Design and specification
(c) Coding and module testing
(d) Integrated system testing
(e) Delivery and maintenance

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

Advantages of the Developed System

(a) Accessibility: This system will make it more convenient for interested donors and
sponsors to have access to information without physically visiting the Orphanage. They would
be able to see the pictures and profile of the children and decide in what way they want to
support even without having to go there. It enable the Orphanage to be visited by anyone,
anywhere and anytime.
(b) Advertising: The use of printed media, radio and television to advertise and solicit support
is expensive. The developed system will be more environmental friendly when it comes to
advertising and seeking for sponsors. The URL will be posted in Social Media like Facebook
which will attract more donors. This developed system will enable the Orphanage to reach a
wider audience therefore, getting more support.
(c) Records and Information Management: It would enhance the efficient and systematic
control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records. It would enable
easy access and retrieval of information when needed.
Disadvantages of the developed system

(a) Reliability: The information on the web page might be unreliable if not updated on a
regular basis.

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY

According to Rob and Corone1 (2009), within the larger information system, the database,
too, is subject to a life cycle. Database development lifecycle (DDLC) is a subset of the
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or we can say that the DDLC is part of the SDLC.
The different phases of DDLC are requirements analysis, database design, DBMS evaluation,
selection, Logical database design, Physical Database design, implementation, data loading,
testing, performance testing, operation, and maintenance.

DATABASE SCHEMA
The design of a database for the purpose of information collection to be stored is the primary
objective of the database. In computing this term, the entity or instance of a database will be
treated as a table of information consisting of fields and topples as in the table 1 below:

Table 1: Master Table for the orphan database system

S/N Orphan Information Data type
1 Orphan Id Text
2 First Name Text
3 Last Name Text
4 Sex Text
5 Date of Birth Date/Time
6 Orphan type Text
7 State Text
8 LGA Text
9 Maiden Name Text
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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

The Fields in this database table are all text data type except the Date-of- Birth field which has
date/time data type. The data type is an indication of the type of data that can be accepted in
the field.

SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

System implementation is the conversion and delivery of the architectural designs of

the proposed system into a software product (Onyemoabi, 2012). System design on the other
hand can be defined as a process of applying various techniques and principles for the purpose
of defining a device, a process or a system in sufficient detail to permit its physical realization.
This system design is solution to the approach of creating a new system. This important phase
provides the understanding and the procedural details necessary for implementing the system
recommended in the feasibility study. The design step provides a data design, architectural
design, and a procedural design. The first step is to determine how the output is to be produced
and in what format. Second, input data and master files have to be designed to meet the
requirements of the proposed output. The implementation phase is handled through program
coding and testing.
Choice of Programming Language
The design and implementation of any automated system greatly depend upon the quality
of software used to design such system. For the purpose of this computerization process,
Microsoft Visual Basic was used for the design. This programming language was opted for due
to the aesthetic user inter-phase feature it offers and its flexibility. The program is compatible
with other programming language or generic applications such as Microsoft access, which was
used in creating the database for the developed system. Access was chosen because it is a
relational database management system; it is fast and easy to implement (David, 1999; Byron,
2001). Generally, the implementation of a system refers to the transformation of the system
specification design, from the originally obtained requirement, into program codes. The
implementation of this system, involved the writing of programs in visual basic language. At
various stages in the development of the new system, the system analyst has to communicate
ideas about the system, proposal was submitted to the management for approval, users need to
know what the system will do and what is required of them.

System testing was part of the system implementation phase. In system testing, the
behaviour of the whole system/product is tested as defined by the scope of the development
project or product. It included tests based on risks and/or requirement specifications, business
processes, use cases, other high level descriptions of system behaviour, interactions with the
operating systems, and system resources. We tested the configuration to ensure known and
predictable results. System testing is most often the final test to verify that the system to be
delivered meets the specification and its purpose.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Home Page View contains the gallery, admin login, donation link, contact form and About
us links. About Us gives a little description of the MOM orphanage. The „admin login page‟ is

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

an authentication interface that demands the administrator to enter his or her admin username
and passwords to be able to access the admin panel as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: The Home Page View

The Gallery Page shown in figure 2 below gives attractive pictures of the orphanages,
orphans, staff and various facilities of the orphanage.

Figure 2: The Gallery Page

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

Contact Form depicted in figure 3 is made available from the home page contact form link to
aid the general public have contact with the management of the orphanage.

Figure 3: Contact Form

Figure 4 below is the Donations Page which members of the society can use to make charitable
donations to the orphanage.

Figure 4: Donations Page

CONCLUSION
Implementing a sound and secure Automated Orphanage System engenders accuracy, privacy,
prevention of double input of same record, proper recordings of donations and charity, proper
status update of the orphans. The three phases of design, development, and deployment of a
secure automated orphanage system has been discussed and addressed in details. To satisfy the
security requirements, the automated orphanage system was designed, developed, and
deployed properly. The system was built according to the design, following best development
practices, and thoroughly tested and certified.
Furthermore, proper procedures and security measures are required to maintain the security of
the system during its deployment. The need to automate the management processes of the
Orphanage is inevitable if proper and easy recordings must be implemented. This system can
play a vital role in improving the living standards of the orphans as any person from any part of
the world could show and give support for the orphans.

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Salem University Journal of Physical Sciences 2020 Vol.2, No. 1, pp. 13-21 ISBN: 97897858775-9-6

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