ConnectAid is a full-stack MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) platform designed to bridge the gap between compassion and action. It connects generous donors with those in need, facilitating transparent and easy-to-manage appeals for medical, educational, emergency, and community causes.

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Installation
• Usage
• API Reference
• Configuration
• Architecture
• Contributing
• License

• User Authentication: Secure Sign Up and Login functionality using JWT (JSON Web Tokens).
• Appeal Management: Users can create, edit, delete, and view their own appeals.
• Categorized Appeals: Organize appeals by categories such as Medical, Education, Emergency, and Community.
• Donation System: Seamless donation process to support active appeals.
• Real-time Updates: Track raised amounts against target goals.
• Responsive Design: Fully responsive UI built with React, Tailwind CSS, and Framer Motion.
• Image Uploads: Support for uploading images for appeals.
• Containerized: Fully dockerized application with Nginx reverse proxy.
• CI/CD: Integrated Jenkins pipeline and Selenium E2E testing.

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion, Redux Toolkit, Vite.
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB (Mongoose).
• DevOps: Docker, Docker Compose, Nginx, Jenkins.
• Testing: Selenium, Mocha.

• Node.js (v18+)
• Docker & Docker Compose (Recommended)
• MongoDB (if running locally without Docker)

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd Connect_Aid

2. Create Environment File Create a .env file in backEnd/ (see Configuration).

3. Run with Docker Compose

   docker-compose up --build

   The application will be available at:

   • Frontend: http://localhost:80 (via Nginx) or http://localhost:5173 (direct)
   • Backend: http://localhost:5000

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd Connect_Aid

2. Backend Setup

   cd backEnd
   npm install
   # Create .env file (see Configuration section)
   npm start

3. Frontend Setup

   cd frontEnd
   npm install
   npm run dev

Users can sign up for a new account or log in to an existing one.

Once logged in, navigate to the "Raise" section to create a new appeal. Fill in the title, description, target amount, and category.

Browse active appeals and donate to causes that matter to you.

• Get all active appeals

  GET /api/appeals

• Create an appeal

  POST /api/appeals

  Body: title, description, targetAmount, category, image (file)

• Get single appeal

  GET /api/appeals/:id

• Make a donation

  POST /api/donations/:appealId

  Body:

  {
    "amount": 100
  }

• Register

  POST /api/auth/register

• Login

  POST /api/auth/login

Create a .env file in the backEnd/ directory with the following variables:

NODE_ENV=production
PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
JWT_EXPIRE=24h
CURRENT_HOST=localhost
FRONTEND_PORT=80
ADDITIONAL_ORIGINS=http://localhost:5173

The project follows a standard MERN architecture with a separate frontend and backend, orchestrated by Docker.

Connect_Aid/
├── backEnd/                 # Express.js Backend
│   ├── models/              # Mongoose Models (User, Appeal)
│   ├── routes/              # API Routes
│   ├── middleware/          # Auth Middleware
│   └── uploads/             # Image Uploads
├── frontEnd/                # React Frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # Reusable Components
│   │   ├── pages/           # Application Pages
│   │   ├── services/        # API Services
│   │   └── api/             # Axios Configuration
├── tests/                   # Selenium E2E Tests
├── docs/                    # Documentation & Images
└── docker-compose.yaml      # Container Orchestration

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature).
5. Open a Pull Request.

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.