Limpopo school wins R1.1m in robotics competition
Ozias Davhana High School school showcased their creativity and innovation by developing unique solutions to real-world problems.
LIMPOPO – Ozias Davhana High School at Mpheni brought home a cheque to the value of R1.1m after they won the Sita CSR High Schools Robotic and Coding Challenge, which was held at the University of Mpumalanga on March 25.
The school showcased their creativity and innovation by developing unique solutions to real-world problems.
Four of Ozias Davhana High’s learners represented the school by writing an essay and were subsequently selected as finalists for the competition.
Their motivation was that there were disabled and older people in their community who had no one to take care of them while their caretakers or siblings went to work, school or ran their errands.
Their solution is a programmed robot that can help their loved ones by giving them food, medication, and help them around the house at specific times during the day while their caretakers are not around.
Ozias Davhana High School co-ordinator, Sewela Sasa was lauded for having put together and guiding the winning team.
She could not hide her excitement: “We are very proud of them, as they put our school on the national map. We had all along hoped to win and be crowned as national winners. We knew our time was coming. The money they had won will be used to build a robotic stem laboratory here at the school,” she said.
Representing participating learners, Rhanzu Hlungwane told CV that the victory belonged not only to them, but to the whole of Limpopo.
“All the people of Limpopo should be proud, especially those in Vhembe. We thank God for this prestigious award bestowed on us as learners. It was not an easy journey, as we were competing against different provinces, but because of the grace of God, Ozias Davhana High has won. We worked hard and we are very pleased with the results and the award we managed to bring home,” she said.
Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya was thrilled about Ozias Davhana High’s win.
“There are not enough words to express how proud we are of the award given to one of our own rural schools. Such enormous recognition does not come easy and should be appreciated as a testament of selfless determination and excellence that we are privileged to see in our learners.”
