First Lady Commends Young Engineers Uganda Over Robotics Championship

Kampala, Uganda- 6th December 2024, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Hon Janet Kataaha Museveni has commended Young Engineers Uganda for organising a successful First Ever Uganda National STEM and Vex Robotics Championship.

The  event, held on November 29, at the National ICT Hub Nakawa brought together students from 23  schools and a home school team to showcase their robotics skills and compete for a spot in the Vex World Robotics World Championship in Dallas, USA.

In a speech delivered for her by the Commissioner for Secondary Schools Mrs Juliet Atuhaire Muzoora, the First Lady praised the organizers and participants, emphasizing the importance of STEM education in empowering Uganda’s next generation of innovators. She noted that the championship aligns with the government’s development agenda, particularly in promoting skilling programs and preparing youth for the challenges of the 21st century.

The First Lady also encouraged more schools to participate in future championships, emphasizing the need to nurture and inspire young Ugandan scientists, innovators, and problem solvers. She expressed gratitude to the sponsors, partners, educators, and parents who made the event possible.

Four schools that won the Vex Championship will represent Uganda at the Vex World Robotics Championship in April next year. These are; Daffodils Primary School and Acorns International School that won Vex IQ, The Stoneridge School and Soroti Municipal SS that won Vex V5.

The African School of Innovations Science and Technology (ASIST) Ltd, which organized the event under its Flagship brand Young Engineers Uganda, aims to nurture the next generation of Ugandan scientists, innovators, problem solvers, and creative thinkers through hands-on STEM and robotics education.

Arinaitwe Rugyendo, the founder of the African School of Innovations Science and Technology Limited (ASIST) / Young Engineers Uganda, in his keynote speech, emphasized the importance of nurturing a generation of thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers. He noted that Africa’s contribution to global scientific knowledge is still minimal and that it is essential to cultivate a critical mass of scientists and innovators in Uganda.

The founder also highlighted the need for a different approach to education, one that focuses on hands-on learning, project-based learning, and problem-based learning. He emphasized that the traditional approach to education, which focuses on rote learning, has left many students feeling frustrated and disengaged.

The championship is part of a larger movement to promote STEM education in Uganda and to prepare the country’s youth for the challenges of the 21st century.

He expressed his gratitude to the partners and sponsors who supported the event, including UNDP, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of ICT, Vex Robotics, REC-Foundation, Eaton Cooperation, NEC-UPDF, Smart24 television , Kazire Health Products Ltd, and Young Engineers Uganda.. He appealed to the government, schools, and parents to recognize and support the initiative, which aims to equip every Ugandan child with skills and confidence for the 21st century workforce.

The championship was a celebration of the potential of Uganda’s youth and a platform for them to showcase their talents. The event was a huge success, with four schools  emerging as winners and qualifying to represent Uganda at the Vex World Robotics Championship in April next year and 9 schools qualifying to represent Uganda at the International Greenwich Olympiad in UK next year.

As the founder noted, “This is not a competition; it is a championship—a celebration of potential and a platform for Uganda’s next generation of innovators.” The event marked the beginning of a journey to promote STEM education in Uganda and to prepare the country’s youth for the challenges of the 21st century.