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Under a starlit sky, Maab and her brother Mostafa stood at the border of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the desert air still and heavy around them. In the distance, headlights pierced the darkness. Their mentor had traveled to meet them, carrying the package that held the key to their journey\u2014the robot kit they needed for the 2024 FIRST<\/em> Global Challenge (FGC) in Athens.<\/p>\n \u201cWe literally met at the border, in the middle of nowhere desert,\u201d Maab, a student on FIRST<\/em> Global Team Sudan, recalled. “We received the kit from him four days before the competition.”<\/p>\n They had no lab, no shared workspace, not even an in-person team. Yet, as the package exchanged hands, they knew one thing for certain: they would find a way to compete. There was no time to waste.<\/p>\n Out of more than 20 students, they were down to two.<\/p>\n Civil war had ravaged their homeland, displacing more than 11.5 million people, including the students and mentors of Team Sudan. They were now scattered across nine countries\u2014Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uganda, Qatar, T\u00fcrkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n \u201cThe heartbreaking fact is that the Sudan we used to know before the war, it\u2019s gone,\u201d said 18-year-old Maab.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were forced to flee,\u201d another team member said in their profile video. \u201cWe lost our belongings and our equipment, but we did not lose our hope or our ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n In Sudan, the war has done more than displace families\u2014it has shuttered the education system. Millions of students were forced to abandon their studies. Yet Team Sudan remained determined to carry their flag to Athens against all odds.<\/p>\n Not being able to meet in person, preparing for the competition presented unique challenges for their team.<\/p>\n \u201cOur preparations were basically over Zoom,\u201d Maab explained. \u201cWe took courses in mechanics and electronics to get on the same page. Then in 3D designing and modeling. After that, we came up with the basic design for the robot.\u201d<\/p>\n But the team couldn’t build it until they received the robot kit.<\/p>\n As refugees, securing visas for their team members was nearly impossible. Several students had no way to even apply, while others who did were rejected.<\/p>\n For Maab and Mostafa, they had to travel to a neighboring country’s embassy to obtain theirs.<\/p>\n That night on their way back home, they met up with their mentor to get the kit that had just arrived. They packed it up in their belongings and prepared for the trip to Greece. They would have to assemble their robot for the first time once they arrived at the competition.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother and I are the only students who were able to make it here [to Athens],\u201d said Maab.<\/p>\n It was during a layover in Cairo that they encountered several other teams en route to the competition who all offered their support.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been huge support from everybody, especially Team Palestine,\u201d Maab said.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore we came, I thought I was going to be alone, but that\u2019s not what happened,\u201d Mostafa shared. \u201cI love that in FGC, it’s not just a competition, it’s not just a race to have a nice robot or to win. It’s about sharing knowledge and sharing experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n With the help of their competitors, Team Sudan assembled their robot at the venue in Athens. They named her Azza\u2014meaning “honored” or “dignified” in Arabic\u2014to symbolize the strength of the Sudanese people.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to rush, rush, rush, to do the work of three months in just three days,” said Maab.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first match, we hadn\u2019t even tried our robot before,\u201d Mostafa admitted. \u201cWe didn\u2019t even play any practice matches because we were focused on fixing one thing\u2014our elevator.”<\/p>\n When it came time for their first match, they placed Azza alongside their alliance members from Guinea and S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Principe. But when the buzzer went off, their robot didn’t start.<\/p>\n They lost the match. And the three matches after that. Each time, they made alterations.<\/p>\n But “after the fourth match, I was very angry,” said Mostafa. “So I went to our pit and started everything from zero.\u201d<\/p>\n As Mostafa took apart the robot, he was asked, \u201cIs it easier to build or take apart?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmotionally or physically?\u201d he responded with a smile. \u201cEmotionally it\u2019s so hard. I\u2019m so sad because, I\u2019m saying, sorry Azza, you helped me too much, I can\u2019t take you like that. Maybe I\u2019ll cry now, who knows,\u201d he said, still smiling.<\/p>\n His decision paid off. Team Sudan won their fifth match, as well as five of their remaining seven matches. Out of the 180 teams competing, their team ultimately ranked 77th.<\/p>\n As the competition wrapped up, Maab and Mostafa carried more than just their robot back with them. They carried the knowledge, connections, and inspiration to bring STEM education to more Sudanese youth.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to pass on this experience because it\u2019s really precious and beautiful,\u201d Maab said. \u201cI think every kid deserves the right to go for it and broaden your horizons.\u201d<\/p>\n For Mostafa, the journey has instilled a powerful lesson: \u201cI\u2019m not only representing my country. I think I\u2019m also representing the power of education. If you believe in yourself and try more and more, maybe you\u2019ll go to a place even in your imagination you didn\u2019t think about.\u201d<\/p>\n At the 2024 FIRST<\/em> Global Challenge, Team Sudan stands as a beacon of hope and resilience, proving that even amidst adversity, young people can overcome challenges, and that no matter the obstacles\u2014knowledge, determination, and unity can forge a path forward.<\/p>\n Feeling inspired? You can help nurture more of these opportunities for youth around the globe by making a small contribution to support the work we do.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>A Team Scattered Across the World<\/h3>\n
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\u201cWe are one family working towards a common goal,\u201d the team said in a post. \u201cWe know that success requires sacrifice, strength comes from union, and that great achievements begin with small dreams. We're here to give our best, to go beyond limits, and to prove that teamwork can overcome any obstacle.\u201d<\/h5><\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\nThe Journey to the Competition<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>\nFrom Virtual Blueprint to Reality<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>\nSTEM as a Symbol of Resilience<\/h3>\n
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\u201cIn Sudan, we are facing many problems,\u201d Mostafa shared. \u201cWe have war, problems in food, in electricity. But we want to say to the world that we are strong enough, we are intelligent, and we have everything to come here and participate and say to the world that we can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/i>
Maab reflected on the deeper meaning of their journey. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve built here is more than just a robot. I think it\u2019s a symbol of resilience and doing it no matter what. Despite everything that\u2019s happening, we\u2019re here,\u201d she said. \u201cI don't think about it as difficulties or challenges, I think it's part of the journey. It\u2019s really worth it because it\u2019s not just my experience\u2014it\u2019s my mother\u2019s, my father\u2019s, everybody who helped us.\u201d<\/h5><\/blockquote>\n
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