Kids connect globally to craft creative eco ideas
YOUNG South Africans were among 1 000 children from around the world who took part in a global workshop where they invented, built and presented self-devised solutions to a social or environmental issue.
The children from the Wot-If Trust Community Centre in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, participated in the fourth edition of the Global Children’s Designathon.
The event at the weekend saw youngsters from 30 cities around the world working together to design creative solutions to combat deforestation, which is part of Sustainable Development Goal No 15: Life on Land.
This year, Microsoft South Africa partnered with Designathon Works Johannesburg to host the South African leg of this global initiative, held at Microsoft’s offices in the city.
The Designathon provides children from underprivileged communities with the opportunity to engage with technology in fun ways to learn skills that will be needed in the future.
Asif Valley, a Microsoft Cloud Development Lead, said the company was very keen to get involved.
“Our participation speaks true to our mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. We believe that technology is a powerful tool in solving the world’s most challenging issues, and we saw fit to be part of this solution-orientated initiative,” he said.
The participants began by researching the theme of deforestation in relation to their city and its consequences, such as air pollution, species endangerment and loss of habitat. They built prototypes of their ideas with glue guns, mini-motors, micro-bits, LEDlights, sensors and recycled materials.
The children were in online contact with teams in Amsterdam and at the close of day, presented their inventions to a panel of experts, parents and the public. Phuti Manguba, director of Designathon Works South Africa, said: “This partnership with a technology giant like Microsoft... (prepares) our children to prosper in a rapidly changing, increasingly technological and complex world.”
The Designathon method teaches participants to use their creativity and design a future with new technologies. It combines Design Thinking and Maker Education, approaches that are gaining ground in education systems.
“Children around the world are concerned about society and the future of the Earth,” Manguba said.
The innovative ideas of children around these themes are valuable and focus on the future. Sometimes they are so valuable that they are adopted by companies and, in consultation with the designer, can be developed into a product or service,” said Manguba.