By Sulaiman Jalloh
President Julius Maada Bio has meet with a team of Sierra Leoneans set to represent the country in this year’s Robotic Competition in Singapore slated on the 7th, to the 10th, October, 2023 under the theme ‘Hydrogen Horizon’.
The commissioner, National Commission for Children, Joyce Wuyah Tejan- Kellie, said for the fifth time Sierra Leone is participating in the Robotics Competition which is organized by the FIRST Global Challenge noting the participants were selected from the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) clubs in different schools across the country adding that all though they are representing a third World country and that they are not shying away from competing with countries she referred to as developed nations.
“Even though we are a third World country, we are not shying away from competing with those developed nations” the commissioner asserts
Madam Tejan Kellie further informed the president that, the team would leave the shores of Freetown on Tuesday 3rd October, 2023, adding 70% of the funds were generated from the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and technology, FIRST called the FIRST Global Challenge and 30% of the fund is from the government of Sierra Leone.
According to the Commissioner, the FIRST Global Challenge was a yearly Olympics-style robotics competition organized by the International First Committee Association.
The mentor of team Sierra Leone Emmanuel Kamanda said they had built a robot that could perform four functions, adding in the competition, the robot should collect and deposit balls within two minutes and thirty seconds.
In a short display before the President, Emmanuel Kamanda led his team to do a performance of the robot.
President Julius Maada Bio in his response said the performance displayed was very impressive and wished the team success in the competition.
This year’s annual robotics competition will bring together thousands of students from more than 190 countries to collaboratively compete in a thrilling game, that will highlight the importance of renewable energy and its potential to create a better future.
