A GRADE Nine learner at Reddam House Umhlanga who has a passion for robotics and coding is now sharing her skills with children who have had little or no access to computers, helping them discover that they, too, can become creators of technology.

Sinead Samputh, who has twice won international recognition for her robotics inventions, has established BAYMIN LABS, a free, youth-led coding initiative for children aged nine to 13.

Working with The Seed Fund, a non-profit organisation supporting families in the Malacca Road Informal Settlement, she is introducing children to coding and problem-solving through practical, hands-on lessons.

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“A solution can change a moment. The ability to solve can change a life. What I really wanted to do wasn’t just to solve problems for other people, but to give young people the ability and skills to create their own solutions,” she said.

Sinead has developed her own six-week coding syllabus and secured corporate donations to purchase three Samsung tablets and protective cases.

She then partnered with The Seed Fund, where she already volunteers at a homework club, to introduce children to Scratch, a visual programming platform that allows beginners to create animations, stories and interactive projects.

Her first class comprised nine Grade Three and Four learners, many of whom had never encountered coding before.

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She has since begun teaching older children, helping them develop the confidence to experiment, make mistakes and find their own solutions.

She hopes to extend the programme to other underserved communities and eventually establish BAYMIN Academy, a paid coding enrichment programme that would help fund the free community initiative.

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