Ofrenda: A Private Altar for My Grandfather, Built With Local Gemma

Description and use

A local application was built to create a Día de los Muertos altar using the Gemma 3 model via Ollama, keeping all data on the user's machine.

Problem

Create a private, offline tool to build a Día de los Muertos altar that keeps personal data local and avoids cloud dependencies.

Outcome

The project demonstrates that a private, offline altar generator can be built with open-source tools, preserving personal data and avoiding cloud costs.

Workflow

• Install dependencies with pip install -r requirements.txt
• Run the FastAPI server with python -m uvicorn app:app --port 8004
• Open http://127.0.0.1:8004 in a browser
• Enter name, relationship, favorite foods, songs, and memories
• Gemma generates JSON output (epitaph, remembrance, offerings, questions)
• Frontend renders altar with marigolds, photo, candles, and offerings
• Print or save the altar page

Evidence

Gemma writes a short remembrance and a one-line epitaph from only what you gave it.

Source

Your photo is shown straight from your browser and is never uploaded anywhere.

Source

I built the project with AI assistance (Claude), and ran and tested it on my own Ubuntu laptop.

Source