by Ndalimpinga Iita
WINDHOEK, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Young Namibians are embracing the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to drive local innovation and compete at global platforms.
Eunike Tshunga Mutota steered a robot across a room. The elaborate remote-controlled machine manoeuvred in a demonstrative arrangement of cleaning the ocean.
"This robot is an innovation aimed to ensure clean oceans and protection of marine resources, which are major contributors to the national economy," she said on Sunday.
The 18 years old Mutota, a learner at a secondary school in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, is one of the youngsters under Namibia's National Robotics Team who developed the robot from scratch.
The innovation featured at an international stage during the Olympic-styled First Global Robotics Challenge (2019-2020) held in Dubai in 2019.
Mutota joins the statistics of youngsters in the country who have taken up creating digital solutions, including robots to aid the country to attain its aspiration of sustainable national development.
The curiosity sparked her passion and interest to practically apply theory learned in the classroom in the real world.
"As a high school student, the question 'when will I use this in real life' always dwelled in my heart, especially when I struggled understanding complex concepts. So much about life can be learned from STEM," she said.
A year ago, eagerness to apply all the concepts learned grew, and she applied to be a member of Namibia's Robotics Team.
She would have never thought that STEM would be the doorway that she would learn exceptional skills.
Combined with her zeal for STEM, the network catapulted her skills and passion in many forms.
"Nothing is more satisfying than being able to crack these questions," she added.
Her interest and skills have grown tremendously over the months because of the novelty of the technology in Namibia.
For the past six months, the team has also been working on the First Global Connecting Communities 2020 Challenge. The challenge consists of a series of projects, both social and technical, to keep us occupied and optimistic in these trying times.
Namibia is currently ranked 45 out the 190 nations participating in this challenge.
Other achievements include an invitation as young innovators to the Namibian president's 79th birthday, the launch of the innovation policy by the Prime Minister, and science fairs.
Since then, involvement in science has also accorded her the opportunity to lead, serving as the captain of Namibia's National Robotics Team for the past two consecutive years (2019-2020).
"Skills I have acquired and improved include an increase in my thinking ability, interpersonal skills, strategizing and planning skills. And for that, I am grateful for God's grace that has brought me through," Mutota said.
Meanwhile, her goal is to demystify believes that curriculum based on disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are difficult.
"I plan on using the skills gained through STEM to nurture young talent. Likewise, I am yet to venture into mentoring projects for Team Namibia next year," Mutota said.
This year's Science Week, organized by the Goethe-Institute, focuses on a series of experiments for primary and middle school learners, a panel discussion, poetry competition and science film week amongst others, according to Daniel Stoevesandt, director of the Goethe-Institute.
Geraldine Itana, an official from the United Nations Development Programme Accelerator Lab, said that local innovators and developers are a contribution towards Namibia achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The country is observing the Science Week 2020 from Oct. 12 to 19 under the theme of Sustainable Development Goals. Enditem
