When Odwa Magabuko first visited Carnarvon as part of the UNISA Inspired towards Science Engineering and Technology (I-SET) programme during the Department of Science and Technology’s National Science week in 2014, little did he know that he would be back in the Karoo working for SKA SA‘s schools programme before long.

Odwa obtained a National Diploma in Information Technology from the University of South Africa. He is originally from Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape and remembers how he used to visit Scifest in Grahamstown as a learner. He says Scifest helped him to understand and see the practical side of science beyond his science text books and he fell in love with the subject as a result of these visits.

As a student at Unisa, Odwa joined the I-SET team under the leadership of Patricia Gouws. I-SET is a Unisa Community Engagement Project aimed at inspiring young people and their communities' interest in science, engineering and technology through fun activities. These activities are mainly centred on children building robots from Lego blocks and programming them to achieve certain outcomes.

Odwa joined SKA SA’s schools programme as part of an NRF/SAASTA internship in May 2016. He had to move to the Karoo, where he says life was very lonely at first, but he knew he was there for a purpose and that helped him adjust to his new surroundings. Odwa, working very closely with Kabelo Pheeha from I-SET, established the Robotics in Education programme in Carnarvon, Williston and Vanwyksvlei. In 2017 the programme was extended to other areas in the Northern Cape, including Loxton, Vosburg and Brandvlei.

“Robotics is a critical component of education if we are to develop our learners into future scientists. As people involved in the education of our learners, it is important that we prepare them in the skills required for the next generation; that we avoid teaching STEM subjects the same way in which we were taught,” says Odwa.

The programme has grown tremendously in a very short space of time and Odwa travels vast distances in the Northern Cape to ensure that learners are engaged with robotics every afternoon and every Saturday morning.

“As part of this programme learners develop the logic necessary for mathematics while programming the robots. They also grow their research and presentation skills when participating in various robotics competitions,” added Odwa.

It’s easy to see how his passion for robotics is affecting the schooling community around the SKA SA site. Through the endeavours of the Department of Science and Technology and SAASTA, young professionals like him are able to contribute to the development of learners in the Northern Cape.