Teenage South African Girls Build Africa's First Private Satellite

South Africa must be buzzing right now with this inspirational achievement by teenage girls involving the design of the first private satellite in Africa. Popular reports state that the satellite will be officially launched in the first quarter of 2016. It is more than a mere project of technological innovation in Africa but also a positive shift in the participation of the African girl child. This has been described as an aberration to the norms of the past with the boys being at the forefront of such deeds.

 

 

According to sources, one of the teenagers named Nina-Rose Clarke of Pinelands High school has increased tremendously in confidence which can be testified to by young women.

I never thought building things could be this interesting. I am loving this experience. It’s so exciting to be exposed to more than just drawing and studying ideas. Constructing stuff is so much better,” Clarke said.

 

Pupils from across Cape Town witnessed the launch of this project backed up by the Meta Economic Development Organisation (Medo). In the course of the programme, they were tasked with engineering their own ‘jiggy-bot’– an electrical device, using diverse mechanisms to light up a bulb and move. The next segment would be carried out during week-long camps over school holidays called SPACETrek, sources say.
 

At this stage, young women who make it through the earlier workshop will create their satellite payload experiments, and test them with the aid of high altitude weather balloons and radio communication. This programme is expected to inspire young African women, while equipping them with the knowledge they need to face the challenges of a previously male-dominated sector.

 

 

This is an indication of a better future for the African race with the influx of more technologicial innovations of this standard.