By: Tilda Acorlor
A Robotics Enthusiast and Data Science Specialist, Felix Sam Nanor has encouraged young people to be curious to learn and explore science and technology beyond their limits.
He said if young people show interest in learning about science and technology it will boost Ghana’s economy and the Tech Industry would be strengthened.
Felix Sam Nanor said this at the Robotics and Virtual Reality boot camp for young people, a program of the Young and Safe Project at the Ho Technical University Basic School in Ho.
“I want to encourage young people to explore beyond their limits and be curious to learn more about technology,” Mr. Nanor said.
“The only thing that can help right now is technology and industrialization if we are producing technological components in the country it will cut down on costs and most people will be employed and be masters in the particular thing they have studied,” He added.
Mr. Nanor added that young people must be guided to make career choices in science while they arouse their curiosity to learn about technology and how it’s evolving our way of life.
“Many kids don’t have an idea about sensors, most African kids lack basic technological knowledge,” He said .
“In our part of the world, we don’t get to see much of this stuff, we don’t see robots and have an idea about how they work and how to join components to perform certain actions,”
“They see traffic lights with no idea of what is going on, this is what we Africans are lacking, it’s an eye-opener when they are exposed to this stuff and arouses their curiosity to learn more and get inclined like the Western world.” He added.
The boot camp is an initiative of the Young and Safe project of the Healthy Cities of Adolescents program aimed at making teaching and learning of science fun for young people in Ho.
About 40 young people were beneficiaries of the boot camp, they were taught how to build a traffic control system and street lights using gadgets like Arduino and sensors.
The Project Lead for Young and Safe, Mr. Courage Komla Asase revealed that the objective of the boot camp extends beyond a day’s event. He said it would enhance the educational sector.
“We see Robotics and Virtual Reality Bootcamps as the initial step toward a broader systemic change in the education sector,” Mr. Asase said.
“By igniting curiosity and fostering a strong desire for knowledge, we aim to empower these young minds to demand and pursue a more comprehensive educational experience” he said.
The Young and Safe project is an initiative of Node Eight, an Innovation Hub in Ho, and supported by Fondation Botnar, a Swiss philanthropic foundation working to improve the health and well-being of young people living in growing cities around the world.
Other partners include the Ghana Education Service, the Ho Municipal Directorate, the Ho Municipal Assembly, and the LoveAid Foundation.
