LONDON — A group of Afghan girls have taken home a top prize at Robotex 2017, Europe’s biggest robotics festival, which was expected to draw 15,000 attendees this year.
The team’s solar-powered robot, designed to help farmers seed and cut crops, among other tasks, won the Entrepreneurial Challenge, reports Afghanistan’s embassy in London. “They are an excellent example for people around the world of what can be accomplished by young Afghans if given the right support and the opportunity to excel in their education,” Said Tayeb Jawad, Ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.K., said in a statement sent to the Thomson Reuters Foundation News.
The Entrepreneurial Challenge is a new competition at the festival. It’s geared toward showcasing robotics that solve real-world problems and are accessible for customers to purchase.
The girls won a small cash prize and have been invited to a larger event in the U.S. this spring, where they will compete for funds to jumpstart their own business. [news.trust.org]
Christian Children’s Fund of Canada commends the girls who exemplify our dream to live in a world where all children and youth have the chance to realize their full potential.