E-IDENTITY
In the journey of life, we live through a number of changes to stages. These stages, moments, relations, losses and victories define who we are. To me, by biggest asset is my identity, who I am. I have been working for the development of those who have not been as fortunate as most of us.
My career of public health started when I was in my second year of medical school. I started to go to the villages in the suburbs of Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan. My journey from those suburbs and villages of Pakistan led to Canada where I worked not only in the cities with Red Cross, but also with the First Nations and was exposed to different aspects of development. I then travelled through the Middle East and worked with different groups of labourers in labour camps, and then reached New Zealand, the land of opportunities.
In New Zealand, I had the privilege of not only working within the cities, but also with the Marae’s and the Maori groups.
During this journey, which is based over three decades, there were a few thoughts which always stayed with me and one of them was that “What are the most precious assets I have or an asset I have?”. To me, it boiled down to my identity. When I worked with patients with minimal cognitive impairment, to those who were in the initial stages of Alzheimer or dementia and went through the stages to the severity of the disease, I felt that those moments in which an individual is in crisis or starts forgetting his own identity, were the most important moments that I could help a fellow human being.
It is from those thoughts and those moments with my friends, colleagues and my community that I felt I needed to do something. This is a product of those thoughts and ongoing feelings of how can we overcome, and if we cannot overcome something, how can we support the individual going through the journey.
The intention or ideology behind the application is simple; it is based on Biometrics, either finger prints or a iris scan to open the application; hence one would not need to remember any password at the same time. The information in it is so safe that nobody else can touch it. Once that is done, the key component of this is the initial interview. Identity, for a number of people, may have a number of different meanings. For me, identity means how I see myself today. Identity for me, is how I view my past, my present and my future. Hence, the start of the application is with an option of introducing yourself in a video. The purpose is that when you feel shaken or when you doubt, for any minute, who you are or what your past was, the important landmarks and the important relationships, the important points would be there for you and hence, the trust on the information increases when it is you who recorded it.
It also has a profile photo and option to input the name and contact number of the first in kin. Based on the information it allows the application to call the first of kin if you feel that you are in trouble, by selecting the SOS tab, but if you are unable to use the application properly, there will be an automatic telephone call generated to the first of kin.
It also has the features of an electronic diary which means that every day, you can click on the date and then record your feelings, either by typing them, dictating them or via video message so that you can see yourself chatting to yourself.
One of the most important parts which I felt would be very important use for myself in a condition like this, was my most precious memories, my thoughts, my accounts, my financials and Will, hence, we developed a special option called Vault a safe which is with you with all your memories all the time. We have tried to provide the best security for it and hence, there is double fingerprint and iris scan before you enter to the Vault, firstly when you open app and second, when you enter the Vault. The Vault is a safe in which you have your precious memories or precious files, which include banking and financial information, your Will, your important passwords, your Governmental identification and all of these are in the form of a PDF document which are date stamped with us. Hence, if at any stage was the website or the individuals application is tampered with or tries to break in to it, it will be date stamped and closed from that day onwards. Hence, the security that what I wrote or wanted in a Will or what I wanted to know with my financial information would be kept to the best possible level.
The application was never meant to be a financial breakthrough. It is meant to help individuals all through the world, for people who can pay and for people who cannot pay, for countries who understand that minimal cognitive deficiency or early stages of Alzheimer needs help, and have associations, groups or support groups for them and for those countries where people do not identify the early stages.
Hence, it is my vision, my dream, my ambition, that we would be able to help people in New Zealand and from there, the world will benefit from the application.
I look forward to your support and your commitment to those who need your support in confirming their identity for themselves.