Tanzania triumphs in Pan-African STEM challenge
DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania has been declared the overall winner of the 2nd Pan-African STEM Competition’s junior category in an academic event which involved five countries.
The event, organized by Young Engineers Tanzania in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, aimed to inspire and engage children aged 6–14 in the critical fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by challenging them to design innovative, sustainable solutions to one of the world’s most pressing urban issues.
After completing assignments at the Aga Khan Primary School in Dar es Salaam, local pupils were named the overall winners in the junior category, while their Kenyan counterparts emerged as the first runners-up.
The competition, supported by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), involved over 200 pupils from five countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and South Africa.
In the senior category, Uganda was announced as the overall winner, with Tanzania securing the first runner-up position.
Team Twigas IST from Tanzania was recognized as the winner in the Teamwork, Presentation, and Innovation categories, and they also emerged as the first runners-up in creativity, behind the Incredibles HBS team.
Speaking about the well-attended event, franchise owner and director of Young Engineers Tanzania, Benazir Kurji, emphasized the importance of the competition.
“The Pan-African STEM Competition provides a platform for young minds across the continent to collaborate, innovate, and share ideas in the fields of robotics, engineering, and STEM education,” she said. “We are excited to host this competition in Tanzania and look forward to bringing together children from different cultures to learn from each other, enhance their skills, and prepare for the careers of the future.”
This year’s competition was themed “Design Sustainable Cities with Integrated Transportation Systems to Solve Urbanization Challenges”, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 13 (Climate Action).
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According to Kurji, the theme encouraged participants to think critically and creatively about building more sustainable and livable cities for future generations.
During the competition, participants were provided with specialized Young Engineers Master Builders Kits, which included over 300 motorized LEGO pieces. Using these kits, pupils created projects that applied engineering principles, mechanics, physics, and mathematics in real-world contexts. The aim was to design and prototype solutions to urbanization challenges, utilizing creativity and teamwork to tackle complex problems.
The event featured over 30 schools, both national and international, with awards in categories such as Best Teamwork, Most Innovative, Most Creative, and Overall Winner. Winners were judged on their ability to think outside the box, solve real-world problems, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in engineering and technology.
This competition follows the success of the inaugural Pan-African STEM Competition, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023, where Tanzania also emerged victorious. As the host country for 2024, Tanzania has continued to build on this success.
Founded in 2008, Young Engineers operates in over 60 countries, offering after-school programs that teach children essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, spatial cognition, and teamwork.
In Tanzania, Young Engineers is a well-established program, partnering with schools to offer a variety of STEM activities. Its STEM Center in Masaki provides year-round programs for children aged 4–15, inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators through fun and engaging learning opportunities.
