Hi, I'm Mapalo Mwape Chibwe
Software Engineer & IT Systems Specialist|Building monuments in people's hearts.
100+
Mentors & learners reached
95%+
Daily Operational System Availability
5+
Production projects shipped
3
Tech communities supported
GDG Lusaka · BongoHive · Black Girls Code
I build human-centered systems for people the default tooling forgets.
My work sits between software engineering and product design: low-bandwidth, offline-first platforms that survive dropped connections, shared devices and expensive data. If a system only works on a fast connection, it isn't finished.
That extends to accessible STEM education tools — including learning experiences designed with and for neurodivergent learners — and public health technology where clarity, privacy and trust decide whether a tool actually gets used.
Ecosystems & Women in Tech
I'm actively involved with BongoHive, working on innovation-ecosystem programming and Women in Tech initiatives that move people from curiosity to shipped work.
Community leadership
Through Google Developer Groups Lusaka I help run technical sessions and mentorship that turn a room of attendees into a network of builders.
Creative engineering
I'm deeply aligned with Mark Rober's creative-engineering philosophy — build the ridiculous thing, learn the real thing. That connection runs through Crunchlabs and Class Crunchlabs, which keep hands-on STEM inspiring, accessible and genuinely playful.
The through-line is simple: build systems that expand access, dignity and inclusion — and leave people more capable than the software found them.
Four systems, four constraints
MockPulse — API Mocking & Webhook Inspector
- The idea
- A client-side developer workspace that simulates backend API responses and lets you inspect network workflows end to end — no server infrastructure required.
- What it does
- Frontend engineers can build and test UI error states, craft custom HTTP payloads, and reproduce simulated latency environments before a real backend exists.
- Why it matters
- Error and slow-network states are where most products quietly break. MockPulse makes those states cheap to reproduce, so they get designed instead of discovered in production.
STEM Pathfinder Infinity — Accessible Learning Platform
- The idea
- An interactive platform of guided STEM pathways that helps learners find a route into science and engineering without needing a mentor in the room.
- What it does
- Structured, self-paced pathways with clear progression, plain-language framing and accessible interaction patterns that work for neurodivergent learners too.
- Why it matters
- Access to STEM is rarely blocked by ability — it's blocked by not knowing the next step. Pathfinder makes that next step explicit and reachable.
STEAM Mentorship & Low-Bandwidth Ecosystem
- Inspiration
- Shaped by the hands-on learning philosophy of Crunchlabs and Class Crunchlabs — curiosity first, theory second, always something in your hands.
- The problem
- High data costs and constant connectivity drops keep African talent locked out of tech education — the curriculum exists, the pipe doesn't.
- The solution
- A Neo-Brutalist UI with Data Saver Mode, offline localStorage sync that reconciles on reconnect, and localized bundle grants through MTN, Airtel and Safaricom.
Community Systems & Public Technology
- Impact
- Learner feedback apps for Black Girls Code, technical and leadership workshops for ANAKAZI UNILUS, ecosystem and design-system work at BongoHive, and tech leadership inside Google Developer Groups Lusaka.
- Approach
- Design for the realities on the ground first — shared devices, intermittent power, mixed literacy — then scale the pattern, never the other way around.
Quality Assurance & Systems Engineering
- Impact
- Leading QA diagnostics across mobile game cycles at Chroma Pixel Games, with structured regression passes on iOS and Android.
- Systems
- Optimising database uptime and ERP workflow integrations at Rideve Media, turning brittle manual handoffs into monitored, service-oriented pipelines.
- Live work
- A full-stack analytics dashboard built end to end — data model, access rules, and a UI that stays readable on a bad connection.
What I bring to a team
Software Engineering
IT Infrastructure
Product Design
Data Science Simulation
British Airways
Data Center Infrastructure
Achievement Award