A group of brainy children are preparing to represent South Africa in the Asian Pacific Open Championship 2024 which takes place in Sydney, Australia, from Thursday 4 July to Sunday 7 July.
The children are all students of the Booster Kids Robotics Club, a locally based organisation. “This incredible opportunity not only highlights their exceptional talent, but also showcases the potential of South African youth on an international platform,” the organisation says.
While in Australia they will compete against other clubs.
The group, Checkmate Robotics Team, are aged between 10 years and 13 years. The team was very successful in the recent First Lego League (FLL) competition, Masterpiece. “Despite being first-time participants, the children defied all odds and earned the prestigious Innovation Award in the competition,” the organisation says.
FLL is a globally recognised robotics competition that challenges young minds to innovate, collaborate, and problem-solve using Lego robotics equipment.
Funds raised
Jair February from Kleinbosch is one of the children who will be jetting off down under in July. The first hurdle that they must overcome though is raising funds and seeking sponsorship. A BackaBuddy page has also been started for this purpose, his father, Dale February, says
They need about R700 000 to send the six members, with at least one parent per child and their two coaches overseas. The cost will cover travel expenses, accommodation, competition fees, and other associated costs. By Friday last week R7 650 had been raised.
Earlier this month the family of Jair and fellow teammate Ryan Fortuin hosted a Fun Run in Welgelegen to help raise funds for their trip. The event was held on Saturday 6 April and was well supported, says Dale.
“This event was well supported by sponsors, and we had loads of lucky draw prizes we gave away. ZoneWatch and the PWP Neighbourhood Watch came out in their numbers to support the event and to marshal the approximate 80 runners and walkers on their way,” he says.
Competition
While in Australia they will take part in two categories, one of which is Innovation Project.
“Here they need to take a common interest among the team members and come up with something innovative. They settled on chess, the board game, since they all had an interest in chess.
“Their innovation project revolves around Jair’s mother and my wife, Velindie, who lost her sight due to corneal melting. They created a chess board that makes playing chess more accessible to blind people,” explains Dale.
The other category is Robot Run. “This is where actual robots are built from Lego pieces and they are coded to perform specific functions on a prescribed themed mat and are scored according to the performance of their robot,” he says.
To donate visit htttp://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/booster-kids-5852799618902332023 or visit wwwbackabuddy.co.za and search for BK Robotics 2 Australia.
Sponsorship contributions can also be made directly to Booster Kids Robotics Club, through First Lego League South Africa.
