Our team is from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), a country located in Central Africa. It is the second-largest country in Africa (largest in Sub-Saharan Africa) by area and 11th largest in the world. With a population of over 78 million, DRC is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth most-populated nation in Africa, and the 17th most populated country in the world. DRC is extremely rich in natural resources, but there is a need for STEM development.

FIRST Global team DRC 2018, from Kinshasa (Capital of DRC) is made up of 3 students and 2 Mentors. The Mentors are Mrs Lyna Boyoko Nkolobise a graduate from Bel Campus Technology University in Kinshasa and Reyel Kahudi Ndjeka from ISTA (Higher Institute of Technical Applied engineering/second year). The team was set up in 2016. The idea started in 2015, when Lyna, the mentor of the team, attended a conference and exhibition on engineering talents, where the project Giant traffic Robots Police powered by solar panels, designed and launched in the city of Kinshasa by Congolese engineer Mrs. Therese Kirongozi, was presented to the attendees. The idea then came to create a team in engineering and technology made up of several passionate talented young students, from several schools and different social backgrounds to encourage, train and teach them new technologies and robotics, to identify and connect them with various opportunities around the world – InvestavecYouth Club (IYC).

Our team has a passion for technology, engineering and robotics, and is thrilled to be part of the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge and this year’s theme “Energy Impact” in the use of solar energy and wind turbines, is very interesting and corresponds to the country’s needs to promote and encourage technology, engineering and robotics education amongst young students. We are honoured to be amongst the youngest and brightest students from over 160 countries working together to solve crises that countries are currently facing: poverty, energy, water, and economic downturn. Our participation to this competition will motivate many young students in DRC to choose engineering and robotics as a career choice, and is an opportunity for the team to learn new technologies and further enhance their knowledge in STEM for the development of our country. We are excited about meeting other teams from other countries.  This is an opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge, and develop our understanding in the STEM field, especially robotics.

The team has been working together, sharing ideas from assembling to programming the robots. The team’s members are involved throughout the whole process and it is a valuable learning experience for the team.

Sublime Mayuku – Captain of the team
I’m 14 years old.  I am a student at St Damien College in Kinshasa in 4th year mathematics / physics. I am passionate about technology. Naturally energetic and I like meeting new people and learning from others. I spend most of my time learning science and doing technological research, monitoring engineering developments and surfing the internet. I believe that women are still underrepresented in the field of technology and engineering and I am very happy to be part of the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge which gives us all the opportunity to participate in the development of technology and robotics. My dream is to work in nuclear engineering because I have a passion for innovation in robotics and new technologies. I want to learn and improve my knowledge of robotics and STEM development and encourage girls in my country and around the world to work in areas such as engineering, technology and robotics. My hero is the philosopher Pythagoras. I like being part of a team and working hard to achieve an objective and my dream. I am impressed by the theme – Energy Impact – because electricity is a big problem that many countries are currently facing, including DRC.

Djo Nzila – Programmer of the team 
I’m 16 years old. I am a student at Saint Vincent de Paul College in Kinshasa in 5th year of mathematics / physics class. I have a very open minded personality. I am passionate about video games, 3D games, toys assembly, and geography. I spend my time revising my courses, watching scientific and ecological documentaries and surfing the internet. I am currently taking correspondence courses in ecology and climate change. My dream is to specialize in electronics, aviation or aeronautics.

I believe we can change the world. Let’s work together and encourage young people to work hard and pursue their dreams. I am interested in robotics, because of my mathematics and physics studies and my passion in electronics. I want to develop my knowledge in technology and robotics and show the importance of technology and STEM, especially in Africa, to solve the problems we face on a daily basis. I practice different sports such as basketball and football. My favorite hero is the English physicist James Prescott. I adapt quickly and enjoy new challenges and learn from others and experience. I like learning new things and I learn quickly. I am curious and technology is a passion for me.

Johnson Wange Iyanda – Pilot of the team 
I’m 16 years old. I am a student at Boboto College Saint Joseph in Kinshasa in 5^th year, literature. I am passionate about technology and robotics. My dream is to specialize in technology and make a career in engineering. Encourage young students in the country to make scientific, robotic and technological career choices. I believe that robots will undoubtedly be the actors of the next technological revolution. As technology gains ground in the world with huge opportunities, the goal is to get young people to be future leaders, to show the utility of science and technology, allowing young students to understand how science, technology, engineering can be used to find solutions to the problems that the world is facing. We should work together as one and learn from each other around the world and grow in all areas where technology can bring solutions. I like to surf the internet, I like music, and I also like to play football. Energy Impact is a very interesting theme because access to electricity is a daily challenge and we will learn a lot with the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge, which we can use to contribute to the development of our country.

Team Media