30 May Team Suriname 2017

Team Suriname is very excited and delighted to be part of the FIRST Global Challenge (H2O Flow) Games 2017. For each team member, this will be the first time participating in a robotics competition outside of what is known to be the greenest country on earth, Suriname. The team is highly motivated to work together towards achieving a common goal along with their robot named ‘Zweef Teki’ which kind of means ‘Slide and Grab’. The team loves a good challenge and is motivated to tackle the difficult parts of the game challenge during their preparations and practice.

The teens as well as their mentor share a passion for action-adventure-science fiction TV series. They also like to listen to music while they work on their robot. Aside from a great experience at the FGC competition the team expects to meet a lot of like-minded peers, make new friends and learn from the different cultures. The team consists of Shayant Sital (18), Ivana Codrington (16) and Ayan Jhagroe (16), mentored by Daniel Lachman, who currently is the director of the Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Suriname. Ms. Indira Ramtahal is the alternate mentor of the Team. She is a full time lecturer of among others Robotics, Domotics, and Electronics at the Institute of Natural Technology in Suriname.

Foundation Young Help Suriname (YHS) is the local coordinator and facilitator for Suriname’s participation. The foundation’s CEO, Ashna Mahepal, expects the Team to not only gain valuable experience in practical implementation of STEM in a team game challenge setting, but also to be inspired and motivated to pursue further careers in this vital area. One inspired person can change the world and so the Foundation hopes that through participation in FGC new life-long connections will be made and more than one truly inspired young person will emerge taking it a step further.

The team is supported by family, friends and a number of YHS attracted volunteers helping with the required planning and logistics. The team has also received support from the Customs department and the Inter-American Development Bank.