My name is Elvis Chidera, a 14 years old SSS1 student of U.V.A (Ultimate Victory Academy),
Rumuodara, Portharcourt. I am a programmer. I started learning programming at the age of 11 years (the basic things). I know java, php, j2me and a little python.

Last year i decided to build an app for mobile phones, i thought of something that is needed in the society and its within my power to create a solution for and i came up with Xmx Me. It is an app for j2me enabled phones used for sending sms at a reduced price.

It took me the whole of my third term holiday to build + more three weeks, i missed classes due to the development of the app. I got featured on techmoran some months after launch http://techmoran.com/2012/11/11/xmx-mebulk-sms-app-developed-by-a-14-year-old-boy-from-port-harcourtnigeria/#sthash.q09KV9e5.dpbs . After many months of running, i discovered some bugs in the application. I tried fixing them but i found out that i couldn't do that with my phone. I learnt programming with my phone and up till now i still use it for development. I use a nokia 2690 with a j2me compiler known as (J2ME SDK MOBILE www.mumey.wen.ru). With more people moving to android and ios i knew i was out of shape and outdated. For the past 3 months i have been looking for a pc so i can build more apps that solves peoples problem and debug Xmx Me, i was so close in getting the pc => i took an iphone from a friend to sell it and get a pc(fairly used) and pay him back later but i lost the iphone in a place i went to charge it so i can sell it the following day. That was my last option and personally i can't even raise up to 5000.

This financial limitation can make me sell Xmx Me, but i don't really want to (sometimes i feel i should sell it sometimes i don't) because i know Xmx Me has a brighter and better future with me. Right now, am still
looking out for people so as to raise the money for the laptop and if i don't get
people that can help me, i might have to sell it (which i don't want to do).

Please i need your advice. I don't want history to repeat itself it my life, i once had a great interest, love and passion for robotics and any thing about building stuffs before but for this same reason(money) i don't know how i left it. I built a bristlebot, crossbow and other misc. Things, i learnt alot about robotics (especially societyofrobots.com) going down to building a robot shark, but i can't remember how i lost interest after realizing after one year i couldn't get a microcontroller, a sensor, a motor(electric fan) and a pc. Please help.

Tell your parents to buy a laptop for you. If they cant afford a laptop, then sell the xmxme and focus on ur education. U shouldn't come here looking for financial assistance. Sell off the stuff and face ur education. Bulk sms app is not even a ground-breaking innovative app. More stuff are yet to be needed. Face urr education for now. Just look at, u have missed three weeks class already. Dont allow what u think is the next big thing to joepardize ur future.

GraphicsPlus: Tell your parents to buy a laptop for you. If they cant afford a laptop, then sell the xmxme and focus on ur education. U shouldn't come here looking for financial assistance. Sell off the stuff and face ur education. Bulk sms app is not even a ground-breaking innovative app. More stuff are yet to be needed. Face urr education for now. Just look at, u have missed three weeks class already. Dont allow what u think is the next big thing to joepardize ur future.

Nice advise

@graphicsplus, yes i forgot to say its not affecting my education at all. I was born this way or let me say am a natural nerd. I didn't miss 3 weeks classes, i meant i missed few classes for 3 weeks. Most of them i was there but my mind wasn't and others i was outside. My first term sss1 position was 2nd and 2nd term position was 1st. I do read ahead most times. Thats just me. As for the bulk sms app, there was an idea i had for it on android and ios. Its really nice multimedia support, etc. Lets just say a little similar to go sms but better.

@graphicsplus, i can also give you evidence of my result. But telling me to sit dock doing nothing is not part of my lifestyle or part of me. Trust me i have tried it but it was impossible. #sometimes i think i know the reason why God gave me a big head.

You don't have to seek financial assistance for such a little need. If you are good at programming, website development and mobile application design, you can contact me for freelance jobs on my growing mobile marketing business. You can then save your earnings to grow your idea. Contact me at siyaka@nigerianbulksms.com.

Good luck!

Oh boy stop ranting if you want to sell it sell it & move on to better things. Facebook owner has about 50 patents to his credit but u don't hear him blowing his trumpet about it so my advise is sell it, finish waec with good grades then pursue a career in programming in the university. If your waec is good, there are a lot of scholarship opportunities abound so for now just face your studies.

GraphicsPlus: Tell your parents to buy a laptop for you. If they cant afford a laptop, then sell the xmxme and focus on ur education. U shouldn't come here looking for financial assistance. Sell off the stuff and face ur education. Bulk sms app is not even a ground-breaking innovative app. More stuff are yet to be needed. Face urr education for now. Just look at, u have missed three weeks class already. Dont allow what u think is the next big thing to joepardize ur future.

Dude, you shouldn't just shut people up that way. .especially young smart chaps like the OP.

OP didn't ask y'all to raise money. .or make some sort of donations. .

All he needs is a small scale freelance project to kickoff his dreams. .plus a mentor too. .

If some of us started our tech journey at such a tender age, you can imagine what we'ld have become by now.

Slyr0x:

Dude, you shouldn't just shut people up that way. .especially young smart chaps like the OP.

OP didn't ask y'all to raise money. .or make some sort of donations. .

All he needs is a small scale freelance project to kickoff his dreams. .plus a mentor too. .

If some of us started our tech journey at such a tender age, you can imagine what we'ld have become by now.

Thanks for this..

@GraphicPlus, pls Is the Css of Techmoran's site ok?? Pls & Pls, Dnt Kill elvis' dreams.. I've known him for sometime, and i know what he can do with a laptop..

Slyr0x:

Dude, you shouldn't just shut people up that way. .especially young smart chaps like the OP.

OP didn't ask y'all to raise money. .or make some sort of donations. .

All he needs is a small scale freelance project to kickoff his dreams. .plus a mentor too. .

If some of us started our tech journey at such a tender age, you can imagine what we'ld have become by now.

I am not discouraging him. At 14, he is still under his parents. He should tell them to help him. That he is a programmer will not make people to just start giving him money. Again, you said he's not looking for financial assistance, but a freelance job and a mentor. Here is part of his post:

Right now, am still looking out for people so as to raise the money for the laptop...

The point is that my advice still stands. He should tell his parents to get him a laptop. A laptop that will serve him will not be more than 30k. Which is just a laptop that will have him install netbeans. But if the parents cannot afford the laptop, he should sell the app and focus on his secondary school education. He should not allow his thinking that he's a developer and programmer to deceive him. He should focus on his education and probably be doing some freelancing jobs during vacation. And not to go into full scale software or application development. If he goes into that, he may not have time and money to properly deploy it. He should finish his college. But if he thinks that his brain is too hot that he cannot continue school, then let him discuss with his parents so that they will support him and allow him to pursue his career in programming.

@GraphicPlus woh woh woh...hold on a bit! you are just so traditional. I wonder why you went to India. You should have stayed in Nigerian and become a chief. I believe you are one of those that Kiyosaki always talk about. Got to school, get good grades, get a good job, blah blah blah....life cycle.

You keep insisting on his parents helping him out....what if his parents are poor? I mean very poor?..Perhaps if he were to be your son you would have knocked his head hard warning him to go and read his books instead?

If you are not interested in helping him get the computer he so desires then you should stop "beating" him. Afterall, u dey "abroad" and abroad people dey get moni na....30k suppose be beans for u to send am na..if he be one hot chick shey you for send am 50k and say "keep the change"


where dual core self?

@databoy247, am not discouraging him. U ar the one getting Kiyasoki wrong. Kiyasoki's kids ar in school right now. Here is my point, if the parents cant help him, let him sell the app and face his studies. Lots of young guys have been deceived into thinking that so many great technological innovators like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and so on dropped out of school. But these young people have nt been told the full story.

If this guy thinks that he cannot continue school, then let him tell his parents so that he wil be given all the necessary support to pursue his career. But for him to come here and be asking for assistance to buy a laptop and then be losing concetration in the class is not wise. The greatest advice this boy will get is to face his college and be doing freelancing during vacation. He should even let his skill be known to the school authority. He may even end up developing an app for the school and thereby getting bigger exposure and assistance.

GraphicsPlus: @databoy247, am not discouraging him. U ar the one getting Kiyasoki wrong. Kiyasoki's kids ar in school right now. Here is my point, if the parents cant help him, let him sell the app and face his studies. Lots of young guys have been deceived into thinking that so many great technological innovators like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and so on dropped out of school. But these young people have nt been told the full story.

OP Never mentioned dropping outta school. .I honestly don't know where you got that from.

You've prolly been outta Nigeria for so long that you've lost grasp with current happenings. .

While most of his mates are still glued to the TV screen watching the latest episode of Samurai Jack/Ben 10, the young chap has made himself useful. .which I think is a great feat & he should be commended for. .

Slyr0x:

OP Never mentioned dropping outta school. .I honestly don't know where you got that from.

You've prolly been outta Nigeria for so long that you've lost grasp with current happenings. .

While most of his mates are still glued to the TV screen watching the latest episode of Samurai Jack/Ben 10, the young chap has made himself useful. .which I think is a great feat & he should be commended for. .

2000000000000000000 Likes!!!!!!!!!

He built the App during Holiday...

FYI, elvis' very intelligent. I remebered when he requested i create sprite images for a game he'll like to develop, seeing a 13 year old build an App like XmxMe with a S40 Nokia phone? What do you think a determined lad like that can do with a pc?? Smh!!

@GraphicPlus, Pls Pls Pls.. Stick to Criticising CSS Source huh?

Slyr0x:

OP Never mentioned dropping outta school. .I honestly don't know where you got that from.

You've prolly been outta Nigeria for so long that you've lost grasp with current happenings. .

While most of his mates are still glued to the TV screen watching the latest episode of Samurai Jack/Ben 10, the young chap has made himself useful. .which I think is a great feat & he should be commended for. .

I didnt say the OP said he wants to quit school. I was saying that young people have been deceived by sayings that some of the innovators dropped out of school. databoy247 referred to Kiyasoki, but I never said the OP should complete his education and get job. I actually liked his effort and skill, but he must not allow that to triple him. Let him focus on his education for now. There are lots of apps he's yet to develop.

Look at his comment: i meant i missed few classes for 3 weeks. Most of them i was there but my mind wasn't and others i was outside.

He was in the class, but his mind was not there. He's definitely playing with his education and somebody is so sentimental that he doesn't want to tell him. These guys after watching 'Social Network' movie, they will want to neglect some fundamentals. If he thinks that his idea is ground-breaking, let him tell his parents and with his parents, they should meet the principal of his school. The principal must have a way of getting any of these media houses to showcase what he has built. He may even get a scholarship, not a laptop. As long as I'm concerned now, the OP dont need a laptop to be coding his apps. He needs his education. @OP, go to your principal and explain to him that you've go a skill that must not be allowed to die. But everything still boils down to this: sell the app and focus on your education for now.

GraphicsPlus:

I didnt say the OP said he wants to quit school. I was saying that young people have been deceived by sayings that some of the innovators dropped out of school. databoy247 referred to Kiyasoki, but I never said the OP should complete his education and get job. I actually liked his effort and skill, but he must not allow that to triple him. Let him focus on his education for now. There are lots of apps he's yet to develop.

Look at his comment: i meant i missed few classes for 3 weeks. Most of them i was there but my mind wasn't and others i was outside.

He was in the class, but his mind was not there. He's definitely playing with his education and somebody is so sentimental that he doesn't want to tell him. These guys after watching 'Social Network' movie, they will want to neglect some fundamentals. If he thinks that his idea is ground-breaking, let him tell his parents and with his parents, they should meet the principal of his school. The principal must have a way of getting any of these media houses to showcase what he has built. He may even get a scholarship, not a laptop. As long as I'm concerned now, the OP dont need a laptop to be coding his apps. He needs his education. @OP, go to your principal and explain to him that you've go a skill that must not be allowed to die. But everything still boils down to this: sell the app and focus on your education for now.

1)I don't intend to drop out from school (never) 2)Programming has never affected my studies rather it has made me better and gave me a new way of thinking. I onced hated further maths, but due to the fact that i want to have a good cs background (algorithms), i studied f.maths more and i discovered how interesting it is, thats just an example, i also engage in www.projecteluer.net which thought me alot in maths too. Secondly, the first 3 weeks i spent on that project didn't also affected me, because the 1st week in most nigerian school is kinda useless, then the other week, most was used in revising junior secondary stuff (thats not an excuse, but i read ahead or after a class at home, and i come out with good grades). Thirdly, the time others use in playing, watching tv, etc is kind of alot for me. So thats out, programming can't affect my education.

I still want to say that coming to NL to look for financial assistance may not be the best thing to do. If you are indeed 14 years old, then you are under-age to even look for fund to fund your programming skill. Have you told your parents or guardian about this laptop issue? Is your school authority aware that you are a programmer? Is your pastor or imam aware of this your programming skill and your need for a laptop? I mean, you should not jump protocol and rush to NL to ask for financial assistance.

GraphicsPlus: I still want to say that coming to NL to look for financial assistance may not be the best thing to do. If you are indeed 14 years old, then you are under-age to even look for fund to fund your programming skill. Have you told your parents or guardian about this laptop issue? Is your school authority aware that you are a programmer? Is your pastor or imam aware of this your programming skill and your need for a laptop? I mean, you should not jump protocol and rush to NL to ask for financial assistance.

i kept dodging the parents issue and i don't want to say it but its the p - word problem.[br/]
I guess you are not in nigeria, my pastor (i can't even get to him) and principal cannot do anything.

elvis10ten: i kept dodging the parents issue and i don't want to say it but its the p - word problem.[br/]
I guess you are not in nigeria, my pastor (i can't even get to him) and principal cannot do anything.

Lets chat on facebook in a few hours.
Send me ur number via FB so i can call you when i login

Am a programmer tho nt in Nigeria you can contact me on twitter @adrainuche may b I could help !!!!

The op writes and communicates way better than a fourteen year old. I strongly doubt he or she is one.
Probably 17 or 18 would have sold it.

Op,be straightforward and sincere in presenting your problems and I'm sure you'll get the help you need.

Bulk sms, it's nice. While some kids are busy playing games with their PC, here's someone that needs it for a better development.
Don't let your spirit go down Op, you v a bright future.

People like Graphicsplus need to learn about talent appreciation. The more of him, more talents follow conventional patterns and remain unsung.

so u guys believe him?

i think this is the new scam pattern..

@OP nice try but the juju no fit fit catch me.

slimyem: The op writes and communicates way better than a fourteen year old. I strongly doubt he or she is one.
Probably 17 or 18 would have sold it.

Op,be straightforward and sincere in presenting your problems and I'm sure you'll get the help you need.

There are 14 year olds who are much more intelligent than 26 years olds, i have taught in a secondary school,I know that for sure.

At 14,this bright kid shouldn't even be on a social network.if his talents exist as he claims he already has a freelance job offer.but for a super smart 14year old his syntax is questionable,I am even concerned that the moderators let this out without checking out the member that posted it.

Nawa o! See as Nigerians dey kill raw talent.....