I have always wanted to inspire the youth especially those in high schools because they are basically at the tipping point in their lives where my small input might be just what is required to tip the balance to a favourable future.Therefore last weekend when a friend of mine from Innovate Kenya invited me to their innovation camp at Maseno School, I was more than willing to attend. Innovate Kenya is a nationwide innovation competition that involves high school students designing solutions for problems facing their communities. A total of ten projects were selected by judges to enter the final level where a prototype solution will be implemented by the students in the next five weeks. The prototyping of the ten finalist projects is made possible by funding from Innovate Kenya.
The finalists received mentorship on how to move their ideas forward into the prototyping stage. To top it up the students were taken through the wallet project to enhance their design skills.
I also had the chance to meet Maxwell Collins who has designed an electronic voting machine using parts scavenged from scrap electronics. The 2007/2008 post election skirmishes that almost paralysed Kenya inspired him to design a system where human error and manipulation is eliminated to ensure peaceful voting and tallying.
They say pictures are worth a thousand words, see for yourself below.....
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| Some of the Harvard students who volunteered to mentor the teams |
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| Presentation by students from Precious Blood girls High School |
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| Presentation by Kisumu Girls Students |
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| The audience enjoying a light moment |
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| Presentation by Students from St Elizabeth Girls High School |
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| Presentations by Students From Kilifi High School |
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| Presentation by Students from Precious Blood Girls High School |
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| Add caption |
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| Interacting with Kirotich of Alliance High School |
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| Students from Mary Leaky pose for a picture with their teacher |
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| Design thinking exercise (The wallet project) |
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| Design thinking exercise (The wallet project) |
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| Design thinking exercise (The wallet project) |
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| Posing with Maxwell and the voting machine |
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| Testing the Machine |
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| Alliance High school Team |
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| Preserving the wild with Precious blood Girls high School and their teacher |
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| Showcasing the products of the wallet project |
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| KTN in the area! |
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| LED lighting Solutions |
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| Maxwell |
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| The Voting Machine |
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| Led lighting Solutions for Security lights |
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| Music festival participants from Ahero girls high school |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Mentorship and project review |
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| Maxwell Showcasing the voting machine |
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| Lets cast some votes |
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| Led lights demo |
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| Alliance high school students are awarded |
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| Mary Leaky girls high school sudents are awarded certificates |
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| Kisumu girls Students are awarded certificates |
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| Precious Blood girls Students are awarded certificates |
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| Precious blood girls high school students are awarded certificates |
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| Kilifi high School students are awarded certificates |
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| St elizabeth Students get their awards |
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| Maseno School students get their awards |
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| Pumwani high School students get their award |
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| The Awesome team: Innovate Kenya staff on the back row, studnents and their teachers |
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| Yeah hurrah! We've made it
I am looking forward to the august event when the students present their prototypes.
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