Prime
Uganda sends 5 students to tech competition in Singapore
A teacher supervises students, who are creating a robot to fight climate change at Mengo SS on October 8, 2022. PHOTO | TONNY ABET
What you need to know:
- The robotics competition, which is organised by a non-profit organisation, First Global, is running from October 7 to 10.
Uganda has sent a team of five students for an international robotics competition in Singapore, joining other participants from 190 countries.
The robotics competition, which is organised by a non-profit organisation, First Global, is running from October 7 to 10. The organisation promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The five girls were supported by Apps and Girls, also a tech-based non-profit organisation in Uganda, to gain skills in building and programming robots, in addition to coming up with other innovations such as a prototype machine for sanitary pads vending which they will showcase.
The students are Matilda Nakaye from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Naggalama; Samrawit Ghebrehiwot and Hermon Asmerom from Mengo Senior School, Mittina Akampa from Seeta High School and Joy Orwin Akandinda from Bugema Adventist Secondary School.
Mr Jossy Nasasira, the director of innovations and training at Apps and Girls, told this reporter they landed in Singapore yesterday.
Ms Carolyne Ekyarisiima, a computer scientist and the chief executive officer of Apps and Girls, said the five girls were selected from their boot camps and other initiatives they have in different schools.
“We are taking five students, a team of girls which is very brilliant, passionate and have exhibited skills in building these robots and have also come up with other innovations that solve community problems,” she said before the team left Uganda.
This year’s competition is being held under the theme ‘Hydrogen Horizons.’
“We are finding ways [how] we can utilise hydrogen as a sustainable source of energy and for combatting climate change in our respective countries,” Ms Ekyarisiima said.
According to information from the First Global website, further shows the “Hydrogen Horizons” theme charges teams with building a robot and navigating it through a simulated environment to produce hydrogen and then store, transport, and convert energy.
“During the competition, teams will work together in randomly selected multi-country alliances to score points, a practice which encourages global cooperation and fosters mutual understanding,” the organisation added.
