Have you ever wished you had a robot to help you fold your clothes or move things around? Well, two Nigerian kids have made that wish come true by creating their own robots using coding skills.
Fathia Abdullahi and Oluwatobiloba Nsikakabasi Owolola are both 12 years old and have been coding for only a year or two. But they have already used their knowledge to build robots that can perform useful tasks at home.
Fathia’s robot is a clothes-folding machine that can fold a T-shirt in three seconds. She said she designed it because she wanted to make her weekends easier. “I made the T-shirt folder because there are too many clothes to fold on Saturdays and Sundays when you wash a lot,” she told BBC News.
Coding is the process of writing instructions for computers to perform tasks. It is used to create websites, apps, games, animations and more. Coding is also essential for developing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, which are fields that have many applications and opportunities in the future.
According to the World Economic Forum, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with more than 60% of its people under the age of 25. By 2030, Africa will have the largest workforce in the world, with more than 1.1 billion people. However, many of them will need new skills to compete in the digital economy.
That’s why coding is important for the youth of Africa. It can help them develop creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills. It can also empower them to create solutions for their own communities and contribute to the global innovation.
Fathia and Oluwatobiloba are examples of how coding can unleash the potential of African children. They are not only making their lives easier, but also inspiring others to follow their footsteps. They both have big dreams for their future.
Fathia wants to be a food scientist and use coding to create more inventions. Oluwatobiloba wants to be a robotics engineer and work on bigger projects. They both hope that their robots will be available in the market someday.
“I’d love to be a food scientist when I grow up,” Fathia said. “I’ll be able to use coding to build so many things that would help me.”
“This is just a prototype,” Oluwatobiloba said. “I plan to make it bigger and better.”
We at Rising Africa are proud to share this story of how innovative the African child can be given the right resources. Fathia and Owolola has shown us that with determination, hard work, and perseverance, nothing is impossible. You are truly a Rising African and an able role model for the new African. Rising Africa is a dynamic platform that highlights the remarkable achievements of Africans worldwide and provides up-to-date information on scholarships and sponsorships available to African youth. Our vision is to inspire and empower the next generation of African leaders by showcasing the diverse accomplishments and talents of Africans across different fields, including technology, business, arts and culture, and social activism.
Chika Ofili is another 12-year-old British-Nigerian boy who has a passion for mathematics. He attends Westminster Under School in London, where he is one of the top students in his class. In 2019, he made a remarkable discovery that earned him a special recognition award at the TruLittle Hero Awards, an event that celebrates the achievements of young people in the UK.
Chika’s discovery was a new formula for testing whether a number is divisible by 7. Divisibility tests are simple rules that help us quickly determine whether a number can be divided by another number without leaving a remainder. For example, to check if a number is divisible by 2, we just need to look at the last digit and see if it is even. To check if a number is divisible by 3, we just need to add up all the digits and see if the sum is divisible by 3. And so on.
However, there was no easy or memorable test for checking divisibility by 7, until Chika came up with one. His formula involves taking the last digit of any whole number, multiplying it by 5 and then adding it to the remaining part of the number to get a new number. If this new number is divisible by 7, then the original number is also divisible by 7.
For example, let’s take the number 203. To apply Chika’s formula, we take the last digit, which is 3, multiply it by 5, which gives us 15, and add it to the remaining part of the number, which is 20. This gives us 35. Now we check if 35 is divisible by 7, which it is (35 = 7 x 5). Therefore, we can conclude that 203 is also divisible by 7 (203 = 7 x 29).
Chika’s formula works for any whole number and can be easily remembered and applied. It is also based on a simple mathematical principle: multiplying a number by 10 and adding another number is equivalent to shifting the decimal point one place to the right and adding another number. For example, 20 x 10 + 3 = 203 and 2 x 10 + 0.3 = 20.3. This means that dividing by 7 and looking at the remainder is the same as multiplying by a fraction (1/7) and looking at the decimal part. Read more about Chika’s discovery here.
Through our Success Stories portal, we celebrate Rising Africans of all ages and sectors who have risen above challenges and made impactful innovations. Our Wonder Kids section features young achievers aged 1-12, while the Super Teens category highlights those aged 13-19, and Young Achievers profiles those aged 20-30. We also have dedicated portals for Women in Africa and persons living with disabilities.
In addition to celebrating African achievement, our Opportunities portal connects African youth to the latest sponsorship, scholarship, awards, and other life-changing opportunities. By providing access to these opportunities, we aim to empower African youth to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact in their communities.
At Rising Africa, we believe in the limitless potential of Africans to create a prosperous future for the continent. Join us in celebrating African excellence and building a brighter future for Africa.
