J Maimela

Six unemployed young people from Port Alfred and surrounding areas, deployed as educator assistants by RecycleBot Builders, are now implementing a groundbreaking robotics and coding programme across six schools: Klipfontein Primary, Mtyobo Public Primary, Dambuza FullService, Ekuphumleni Full-Service, Port Alfred Junior Secondary and Kuyasa Combined School.

RecycleBot Builders is a pioneering robotics and coding programme designed to cultivate the next generation of visionary thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers. By harnessing the power of reusable materials, this initiative ignites creativity, fosters critical thinking, and equips young minds with the skills to transform ideas into solutions. Through hands-on learning and real-world applications, RecycleBot Builders empowers children from grade R-3 to build structures such as roller-coasters, launchpads and pulley systems, along with balloon powered cars to understand concepts such as aerodynamics, force and gravity. Supported by the Eastern Cape department of education and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), RecycleBot Builders is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of problem-solvers. In September, the respective schools completed level one of the programme, which makes the pupils “rookie builders” and earns them green badges. This means they have learned how to make things move, problem-solving, teamwork, confidence, and safety protocols. A total of 715 pupils have earned green badges. We look forward to great inventive solutions from these future leaders.