They started their programme at BM Mkhabele High School in Mhangweni village and Burgersdorp Junior High School on Thursday, June 21. The purpose was to showcase technological advancements in the field of robotics, electronics, computer technology, and artificial intelligence to inspire grade 8 to 11 learners to pursue a career in these fields.

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“We believe the event has opened learners’ minds to see that there are more career paths after high school,” explained Sandra Maswanganyi, BM Mkhabele Junior High School. Hlulani Shikwambana, the co-founder of Nhlalala, told the Herald that the objective is to expose learners from a young age to technology. “We want our youngsters to know that they too can build and operate an electronic robot at a young age, regardless of their backgrounds. “We are calling on schools interested in robotics to contact us to promote and develop innovations in the Tzaneen region,” Shikwambana elaborated.

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Nhlalala ya Vatsonga Community Project is a non-profit organisation established in 2017 by Shikwambana and Jonni Malubana after noticing the high level of poverty in their neighbourhood. It focusses on arts and culture, youth empowerment, and community upliftment. They mostly self-fund their projects but are appealing to community members and businesses to help with funding. Meanwhile, Tzaneen Robotics is a private organisation that specialises in electronics, electronic software and engineering, and more.

For more information, contact Hlulani Shikwambana on 083 336 4399 or visit their website. nhlalalayavatsonga.org.