Siyanibingelela. We are FIRST Global Team Eswatini 2023, #Emagwalagwala – The Turacos. We are an energetic and self-driven team, a powerhouse of 24 innovative high school girls and boys doing grades 8 to 12. We come from diverse backgrounds, we represent seven (7) different Tinkhundla (constituencies), and all 4 administrative regions of the Kingdom of Eswatini. Our team members emanate from 14 different rural and urban, public, and private schools.

What does Coopertition mean to Us?
Fueled by curiosity and excitement to be a part of the 2023 FIRST Global Challenge at first, then later the love for this STEM program and the persistent pursuit of excellence in what we are doing, to this day as a team we have overcome many socio-economic challenges. Bus fares, access to the internet, and lack of support from some families due to a lack of awareness about the importance of STEM programs, to name a few, we are experiencing the impact of the knowledge gap, access gap, and income gap on a day-to-day basis.

Raising bus fares to travel over 300 KM (to and from) on a weekly basis to attend FGC sessions has been a barrier for a majority of members from humble backgrounds, who for most families are currently struggling to put bread on the table each day. To this end, regardless of challenges, we are still 24 members strong, standing and supporting each other, soaring to excellence, and we are leaving no one behind. To us as a team, Coopertition and Gracious Professionalism begin here at home.

What is our team’s weakness and what is our strength?
Limited access to resources, a limited network of local funding opportunities, and being an inexperienced robotics team is our weakness. Except for three returning FGC 2022 members, for the 21 other participants, this is our first experience participating in a robotics or STEM program and we are full of gratitude for this opportunity.

Our culture unites us, we are one team. Teamwork coupled with unwavering determination, innovative and growth mindset, love and passion for STEM, and a resolute ambition to break barriers, and break the cycle of the knowledge gap, and access gap, and in the near future, our future, close the income gap. We are Purposeful, relentless, and unyielding, and this is our strength.

How is this year’s theme “Hydrogen Horizons” important to you and your country?
Currently, the Kingdom of ESwatini depends on imported solutions for all its energy demands. From gas to petroleum to even electricity. This is not acceptable, especially after 55 years since the end of colonial rule and given the potential of solar energy given the insolation levels and the land available, in Eswatini. Hydrogen Horizons not only give us an opportunity to learn about what’s possible but inspires us, the youth, to work toward addressing these challenges, and not to accept the status quo.

How will you use this experience to make your country and the world better?
We aim to use this experience to learn and advocate for change in energy policies in Eswatini. We will lobby for acceleration in switching to renewable energy using the New Technology Experience: Energy Evolution Project. The plan is to conduct detailed research, and then prepare a solution plan, and present it to both the Energy Regulator in ESwatini (ESERA) and the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC). In addition, we will use this experience to enthuse our peers, through a series of our ambitious outreach programs, which aim to reach 2000 plus high school students starting in September and completed in December 2023. We do acknowledge that these efforts will not be enough to change the status quo, however, we believe that FIRST Global’s Hydrogen Horizons is the starting point, a foundation for our generation to build on.

Thank you to our supporters!

Team Media