𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐤 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐡𝐚 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬

…𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉-𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

By Ngawang Jamphel

Jigme Wangyel, 16, and Unish Ghalley, 15, embarked on a remarkable journey during their 10th-grade studies at Khangkhu Middle Secondary School in Paro. Witnessing the challenges faced by many Bhutanese individuals, particularly those in rural areas and monks taught solely in Dzongkha, they recognized the need for a solution to address the language barrier in basic calculations.
Their inspiration for Druk Digit, a Dzongkha calculator app, stemmed from observing how individuals struggled with calculations due to a lack of familiarity with English numerals. Many uneducated people and residents in rural areas often found themselves dependent on others for calculations, hindering their ability to conduct everyday tasks and business transactions independently.

“We saw that many Bhutanese who are uneducated and living in rural areas, as well as monks who are taught only Dzongkha, were struggling with calculations. They often faced difficulties as they didn’t know English numbers, relying on others to perform calculations for them. To address this issue and empower our community, we decided to develop an app that could perform calculations using Dzongkha numerals,” explained Jigme.

Their journey was fraught with challenges, primarily due to time constraints and academic commitments. Balancing their studies with the development of the app proved to be demanding, especially during exam periods. Despite facing interruptions during their 10th-grade studies, including trial exams and preparations for the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA), they remained determined to see their project through.

“The limited time we had a significant challenge. We had to pause our work during exam periods and focus on our studies. After our exams were over, we resumed developing the app during our winter breaks. However, the process took longer than expected due to the time required for Play Store approval and adhering to its guidelines,” shared Unish.

Despite these obstacles, their perseverance paid off as they successfully completed Druk Digit, an app designed to perform calculations using Dzongkha numerals. The duo’s dedication to empowering their community through technology was evident in the app’s features, which not only facilitated mathematical calculations but also promoted the preservation of the Dzongkha language and cultural identity.

“The Dzongkha calculator has the potential to positively impact the community in Bhutan in several ways. It promotes the Dzongkha language, enhances accessibility, provides educational support, fosters inclusion and empowerment, and helps monks, lamas, and uneducated individuals who only know Dzongkha to perform daily calculations,” emphasized Jigme.

Looking ahead, Jigme and Unish have ambitious plans to further develop Druk Digit. Their immediate focus is on addressing any bugs or issues within the app and adding additional features to enhance its functionality. They also aim to make the app available for iOS users to ensure broader accessibility across different platforms.
“In addition to improving Druk Digit, we have plans to develop more apps that could help Bhutanese individuals in various ways. Our goal is to leverage technology to address the diverse needs of our community, whether in small or significant ways,” said Unish.

Applications like Druk Digit play a vital role in preserving and promoting Bhutan’s unique cultural and linguistic heritage. By providing digital tools and resources in the Dzongkha language, they encourage people to engage with their native language in various contexts, fostering a sense of pride and identity.

Jigme Wangyel offers valuable advice to other young individuals aspiring to create innovative solutions like Dzongkha calculators: “The things you want to make or develop might seem small, but they could make a big difference. Start by working on simple solutions that can help many people, instead of immediately aiming to create something grand.”
The development of Druk Digit by Jigme Wangyel and Unish Ghalley exemplifies the transformative potential of youth-led innovation. Their commitment to leveraging technology to bridge language barriers and empower communities serves as an inspiring example for others to follow in Bhutan and beyond.