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The high school team won the overall first award after outperforming 70 teams selected from universities and colleges throughout Africa .They received the best astronomy support mission award after settling for second place in the robotics category .Universities from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe were among those that attended the event . When MILESTONE College won the Africa Mars Rover Challenge last week in South Africa, they raised the national flag once more. Their high school team won the overall first award after outperforming 70 teams selected from universities and colleges throughout Africa. They received the best astronomy support mission award after settling for second place in the robotics category.
Participants in the competition were to develop and construct a compact, mobile Mars rover prototype that could be controlled wirelessly and run on its own power. Universities from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe were among those that attended the event.
Lionel Munuwa, Kudakwashe Jong, Dineo Shonhiwa, Sedilaka Nyoni, Gamuchirai Sumani, Tinotenda Ndemera all 17, Tatenda Chingono and Makanaka Bonyongwa (18) , and Nokutenda Ndemera (15), made up the victorious team.
Sedilaka Nyoni, the team’s software developer, expressed their excitement at representing the nation and winning. “We were overjoyed to compete internationally and win as Zimbabwe’s representatives. As a team, we are excited to use these abilities in our upcoming undertakings and are honoured to bring the honours home. A scaled-down version of our winning concept can travel to Mars, evaluate data, and return with samples that will help us better grasp the planet’s characteristics, Nyoni said.
Ndemera, a different team member, expressed their excitement about raising the national flag through their pursuit of STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. When it comes to STEM, we think we have paved the way for our classmates who may have doubted their ability to succeed. We learnt the value of teamwork in the robot-building competition, and by working together, we can create a stronger country,” she remarked.
An onboard weather station in the winning prototype was capable of measuring temperature, humidity, and wind speed and sending real-time data to the control centre. With the help of an onboard camera, it was able to broadcast live video and carry loads weighing more than two kilogrammes. The robot, which had six wheels and a gearbox, was propelled by electric motors.
Their creative prototype rover, which was made to traverse Martian terrain, surprised the judges with its sophisticated features, such as temperature and humidity sensors, wind speed measuring capabilities, and rock analysis software, according to team coach Mr. Stewert Mderere.
Although the competition was difficult, the team stood out for their ability to work together and solve problems. Their accomplishment fills me with immense pride, and I am thankful for the chance to mentor them. This accomplishment demonstrates the ability and promise of Zimbabwe’s young people. We are dedicated to fostering innovation and our students’ love of learning.
Because they are only high school kids, the team faced off against university students and was a little doubtful about their chances of winning. “They were also given the opportunity to showcase their knowledge of Mars geology rock types, crater formations, weather conditions, and astrobiology,” he added, adding that they had effectively presented their project plan, design, and the capabilities of their constructed rover.
According to Mr. Mderere, this was made possible by the government’s Heritage-based Education 5.0 Policy, which keeps fostering students’ inventiveness in elementary and secondary education.
“The framework provided by the government keeps our students’ creative potential unlocked while giving them the real-world skills they need to succeed in a cutthroat global marketplace. Thus, as a club, we are currently teaching robotics to schools in isolated parts of Manicaland,” he stated.
The robotics team at Milestone College has won several awards this year alone. At the 2024 First Tech Robotics competitions in Italy in March, a mixed group of students from Tynwald High School and Milestone College represented the nation and won the Judges’ Choice prize.
After competing in the Genius Olympiad contests in July, Tinotenda Nyoni, a member of the college’s robotics team, won a US$15,000 cash prize along with a scholarship to attend Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. This made it possible for the teen and other members of the school’s robotics team to travel to Silicon Valley, USA, where they met His Excellency Tadeous Tafirenyika Chifamba, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to the US.
Additionally, the team competed in and won the ZimScience Fair Awards in February. They will be on the team representing the nation at the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition, which will take place in China the following year. Junior members of the group also took part in the Africa Science Buskers competition, where they were awarded a ticket to represent the nation in Abu Dhabi in 2025.
