On Monday, April 22, 2024, a team from College Christ Roi de Nyanza arrived at Kigali International Airport, returning from Texas, USA, where they had participated in the First Lego League and robotics competition.
Among the awards they secured was one for the best project, which featured the use of ‘Virtual Reality’ technology in construction, and another for being the team that best cooperated and interacted with others during the competition.
Many of the team members are young, aged between 9 to 17 years. Their participation and success at an international level is a testament to the fact that achieving personal development and benefiting others does not necessarily require one to be older; it can indeed start early.
Nsabimana Ketinah, a 15-year-old in her third year of secondary school, is part of the team. In a conversation, she told us that winning these awards means a lot to them.
She said, “These achievements encourage the youth to believe in themselves and feel capable of making a difference. For me, these competitions have taught me how to interact with others and to pull together information from people from various countries, thus broadening my horizons.”
Ketinah believes that more effort should be put into involving young children in these activities because they are capable too. “Rwanda needs to show that robotics is not only for adults. I believe the robotics curriculum should be introduced in as many schools as possible.”
Shema Almel, a fourth-year student at College Christ Roi de Nyanza studying PCB, shared that besides studying robotics and participating in competitions, there are other hidden opportunities.
In discussion, he mentioned, “You learn a lot and meet many people; for example, recently we met sponsors who are also offering us scholarships. Furthermore, these courses make learning other subjects like ICT and Physics much easier.”
The reason these children are studying such subjects is to engage in projects that utilize robots or AI technology, which can contribute to solving societal issues.
However, this spirit of success and passion for their studies wouldn’t exist if they hadn’t first identified their goals. For the youth, the first step is self-awareness, understanding what you want in life, and how it can benefit both you and society, which is immensely valuable.
Having a clear vision is crucial in life as it helps you navigate your path more easily, and starting young prepares you for a brighter future.