A team of young developers has designed the “Bulbul” app, making religious, educational, artistic, and novel books available in audio format, especially for young people and children. The creators of this app told Salam Watandar that users can, by downloading the program, listen to books even while working, driving, or performing daily activities, and use it to increase their knowledge and skills.
Sorya Yousufi, the designer of the app, mentioned that Bulbul currently has 52,000 active users. She says, “Our audience can access books in three languages: Dari, Pashto, and English. 60% of our users are outside Afghanistan. Those who cannot read or do not have time to study due to work, such as housewives, can easily listen to books through headphones.”
According to the Bulbul program manager, transferring knowledge, simplifying access to books, and creating job opportunities for those with the necessary skills as announcers are among the main goals of developing and running the app. “Our books are offered in categories such as motivational, religious, poetry, novels, and children’s literature, covering all age groups. The majority of our audience is young people who are interested in novels. Our goal is to transfer knowledge more easily by converting books into audio content and to make books accessible to audiences both inside and outside the country.”
Users of this app also find access to the Bulbul program beneficial, saying that they can now use their time and opportunities more effectively.
Sadis, one of the Bulbul users, says, “I use this program mostly during my free time and mostly follow novels. The insights I gain from these books have a positive impact on my daily life. For example, I can listen to an audiobook while working and at the same time continue my tasks.”
Najla, another user of the Bulbul app, says: “Audiobooks give me the opportunity to study while doing other tasks. This method has strengthened my reading habit, and I mostly use motivational books.”
It is worth noting that in recent years, the trend of audiobooks has increased in many countries. This method of reading provides access to knowledge for a wider range of people, including people with visual disabilities and those who are less literate, and apps like “Bulbul” are considered a step in this direction.
