GlobaLingo wins Rep. Joaquin Castro’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’s 20th District

When asked what inspired the creation of GlobaLingo, Neha Hariharaprasad said, “What inspired me to create GlobaLingo was the intersection of my personal curiosity, community needs, and a desire to solve a real problem faced by immigrant families in San Antonio.

“My journey began when I came across social media posts from Congressman Joaquin Castro highlighting his support for immigrant families in our city. This prompted me to learn more about the experiences of newly resettled Afghan refugees in San Antonio. According to the San Antonio Report, nearly 6,000 Afghan immigrants arrived in 2023, most of them speaking Dari or Pashto. Yet I discovered that there were only about 13 certified medical interpreters available to help them in critical situations like doctor visits or hospital stays.

“I wanted to better understand these challenges, so I reached out to the executive director of the Center for Refugee Services. I learned that many Afghan families, particularly women, could not attend in-person English classes due to childcare responsibilities, transportation barriers, or cultural constraints. Instead, they often relied on tools like Google Translate. While helpful at times, these tools often mistranslate the context, making them unreliable in sensitive settings.

“Hearing these stories left a strong impression on me. It was clear that learning English was not just about picking up a new language; it was about accessing healthcare, education, and opportunities for stability. I realized that even simple, everyday English phrases could make a huge difference in helping newcomers feel more confident and connected in their daily lives.

“That’s when I decided to build GlobaLingo, a web-based app that teaches immigrants practical English sentences with translations and authentic voices in Dari and Pashto. To make it culturally relevant, I collaborated with a local Afghan community member to record the Dari/Pashto scripts and Afghan-accented English voice, while I recorded the American English version. This collaboration gave the app authenticity and ensured it reflected the community’s needs.

“What truly inspired me was seeing how technology, especially AI, could be used to create meaningful solutions. By integrating OpenAI’s API, I was able to move beyond static translations and help users generate new sentences, reinforcing grammar patterns and expanding vocabulary in an engaging way.

“Ultimately, I was inspired by the resilience of immigrant families and their determination to build new lives in San Antonio. GlobaLingo is my way of giving back, leveraging my skills to create a tool that empowers them to communicate, connect, and thrive.”