Taarifa ya Mashindano // Competition Updates

Bahati anakata chuma kwa ajili ya kujitengenezea opena // Bahati sawing metal for her bottle opener

Kutafsiriwa na kutumwa kutoka globalgiving.org
Imeandikwa: Deborah Tien (Executive Director)
Imetafsiriwa: Epifania Wilbard (Education Coordinator) na Fadhilina Mkalli (Administrator)

Imerushwa moja kwa moja kupitia taarifa za miradi ya Global Giving: 

Originally posted as a Global Giving Project Update:

​Asanteni sana kwa ukarimu na uaminifu mliouonyesha kwetu na vitu tunavyovifanya, tuliweza kupata kiasi cha $5000 ndani ya wiki 6 zilizohitajika kupata sifa nzuri kwa wawezeshaji wa kimataifa. Hii itaturahisishia kwa wawezeshaji wajao kutuelewa zaidi maana bado tunaendeleza kuchangisha fedha kwa kiasi kilichobakia ambacho ni $1826 kufikia malengo yetu ya $10000 mpaka mwishoni mwa mwezi Machi 2018.  Pamoja na hilo pia tumefaidika kupitia rasilimali ambazo zimetujengea uwezo mkubwa kupitia mataifa mbalimbali. Kwa mfano, Epifania, Mratibu  wa mambo ya Elimu (Twende) ametumia makala kuanza majaribio ya kutengeneza video ya Twende. Ni mara yake ya kwanza kufanya  uhariri. Tutatuma majibu baada ya kukamilisha.

Thank you again for your generosity and belief in what we do! We managed to raised the $5,000 in 6 weeks needed to earn a permanent spot on the Global Giving platform. This will make it easier for any future donors to support us as we continue to fundraise for the remaining $1,826 of our $10,000 goal for the end of March 2018. Plus, we have already benefited from the large amount of capacity building support Global Giving provides through its resources. For instance, Epifania, our Education Coordinator, has used Global Giving articles to start experimenting with making a Twende video! It is her first time video-editing. We’ll share results once they’re ready.

Kama inavyojulikana, kwa msaada wenu tunaanzisha  mashindano ya ubunifu sasa. Tumelenga kutumia muda mwingi na wanafunzi waliohitimu kidato cha nne wanaotarajia kuijiunga na kidato cha tano, ikiwa wana muda wa takribani Miezi 6. Tumeanza mwezi uliopita na idadi ya wanafunzi 12 wahitimu wa kudato cha nne kutoka shule 7  waliokuja Twende kuwasilisha mawazo yao na kujiunga na mafunzo. Wakati wa CCB wanafunzi walijifunza umuhimu wa mzunguko wa ubunifu, wakafanya kwa vitendo changamoto za ubunifu,na kutengeneza kitu kidogo cha kutumia kutoka kwenye malighafi taka. Pia walipitia kwa undani mawazo waliyokuja nayo ya kiubunifu na kuweza kuchora mfano na kutengeneza mifano kwa kutumia mabox,chupa za plastiki, mbao chakavu n.k.

As you know, with your support, we are piloting our first design competition right now. We wanted to be able to spend more time with Form 4 Leavers, who have a six-month holiday between Form 4 and Form 5. We began last month with 12 Form 4 Leavers From 7 schools independently coming to Twende to present their ideas to our team and participate in our flagship workshop: Creative Capacity Building (CCB). During CCB, students learned about the importance of the design process, carried out a design challenge, and made a small, useful tool. They also delved deeper into their ideas and came up with sketch models using old cardboard, plastic bottles, paper, etc.

Huu ulikua ni mwanzo mzuri wa mashindano. Wanafunzi waliendelea kuja Twende kuendeleza miredi yao ni pamoja na aliebuni namna ya kusafisha maji ya bafuni ili yatumike kwa manufaa mengine ya chooni, kutibu maji kwa kutumia mwanga wa jua,na wengine  walihamishia miradi yao nakuanza kuifanyia kazi nyumbani maana ilihitaji kufungwa majumbani.

This was a great start to the competition! A handful of students regularly came back to Twende to work on their ideas, ranging from reusing shower water for toilet flushing to purifying water using the sun, and we thought the rest were working on their projects at home since a number of ideas were quite large and involved installations in the home.

Lakini baadae tuligundua baada ya kuongea na wanafunzi, kwamba wengi wao hawakuwa wamejiandaa vizuri kwa changamoto hiyo kama tulivyodhani. Wengi waliona kuwa hawataweza kubuni chochote cha kutosheleza kupata ushindi na kuchkua zawadi, wengine walikwama na hawakuweza kuomba msaada kwa walimu maana walimu walijitoa baada ya mashindano kuanza ili kuhakikisha usawa unatendeka.

But what we realized from discussions with the students is that a number of students were not as comfortable with the water theme as we had thought. Many felt like they couldn’t come up with anything innovative enough to win the cash prize, while others were so stuck but didn’t know who to ask for help since Twende staff had to be careful to ensure the fairness of the competition.

Tulichogundua pia kutokana na maongezi na wanafunzi hawa ni kuwa wenyewe walikua wana mawazo yao ya kiubunifu kichwani ambayo walipenda kuyaendeleza, ila kutokana na ukosefu wa vifaa, malighafi na ushauri huko walikotoka walishindwa. Baadhi ya mawazo hayo ni pamoja na mashine ya kufyeka majani ya mifugo, ndege, mashine ya kuzalisha umeme kwa kutumia maji n.k. Kiuhalisia sio rahisi kumaliza miradi hii kwa miezi michache, ikiwa huna uzoefu na mashine na ujuzi wa kihunzi, na wakati mwingine ukosefu wa malighafi (hatuna vibranium hapa) Badala ya kutizamia matokeo ya mashindano peke yake, tulijiuliza ni namna gani ambayo tungeweza kuwawezesha wanafunzi hawa kuweza kuweka mawazo waliyokuwa nayo katika uhalisia?

What we also realized from our conversations with the students is how creative and ambitious they are. They had plenty of ideas of things to build, if only they had the materials and tools. We heard ideas like making a machine to slash feed for livestock, a helicopter, and an infinite energy machine. Of course, not all of these are possible to finish within a few months, with little to no mechanical or electrical hands-on experience, and some limitations on materials (no vibranium here).  Instead of focusing on the ‘competition’ element, we started asking: how might we use the students’ existing ideas to encourage them to make?

Tuliongea na wanafunzi hawa kwa mara nyingi kuwaelezea kuhusu mabadiliko yaliyofanyika,na walifurahia sana kupewa nafasi nyingine ya kufanya mawazo yao. Sisi kama Twende tunaamini kwamba kubuni teknolojia ni ngumu kufanyika na inahitaji msaada na nguvu za ziada. Wengi wa hawa wanafunzi hawajawahi kupata fursa ya kutengeza kitu chochote cha kiubunifu kutokana na ukosefu wa vitu mbalimbali ambavyo ni vya muhimu kwa shughuli hizo, kitu ambacho kilipelekea kuingia moja kwa moja kwenye mashindano bila ya kuwa na uzoefu, kwa maana hiyo mashindano haya hayakuwa ya manufaa kwao. Vijana wana nguvu na misukumo mingi, kwa hiyo tunajitahidi kuhakikisha wanatumia nguvu na muda wao vizuri ili kukua kiujasiri na kiubunifu zaidi.

We talked to a few of them about changing the direction of this design program, and they were enthusiastic to be given a different opportunity to bring ideas to life. We as Twende acknowledged that innovating a technology is hard work that requires constant support and self-motivation. Most of these students have never ever had the chance to make their dream ideas into realities because of a lack of resources and forcing them to jump immediately into a themed competition is not the right fit right now. Youth have so much natural curiosity and drive - let’s make sure they can use their strengths to grow their creative confidence and innovate!

Kwa hiyo tumeamua kuja na utaratibu mwingine wa kuwa na namna mbili za kuwasaidia vijana hawa: Ya kwanza ni kuendelea na mashindano ya kusuluhisha changamoto ya maji kwa wale watakaopenda ili kushindania zawadi ya fedha. Ya pili ni kuwapatia mahitaji yote ukiwemo na ushauri wa kiufundi kutengeneza miradi wanayofikiri kwamba wanaweza. Wanafunzi sasa wanajadiliana na Benard(Mkurugenzi wa Teknolojia) na Chris(Mwalimu wa ubunifu) kuhusu mawazo yao na wote kwa pamoja wanaweza kuja na lengo moja kwa wanafunzi kuanza kutekeleza. Kama wanafunzi wataweza kufikia malengo, kila mmoja atazawadiwa cheti, bozi la vifaa ili kuendeleza teknolojia husika popote atakapokwenda, na pia kutakua na tafrija fupi kuwapongeza waliofanya vizuri.

Thus, we’ve evolved the design program for Form 4 Leavers to have two directions. The first is to continue the original water design challenge, so students who wish can continue working towards the cash prize. The second is to provide materials and technical advising to make any project they’d like. Students are now speaking with Bernard (our Director of Technology) and Chris (our Creativity Trainer) about their ideas and together, they can come up with a reasonable goal for the student to work on. If the student achieves the goal, she or he will receive a certificate, a toolkit to continue making technologies, and an invitation to a small celebration lunch​.

Tuchukulie Helicopta kama mfano, kwa sababu katika maisha ya kawaida, kutengeneza helkopta itakayoweza kuruka itahitaji ujuzi wa ziada hata kwa wasomi wakubwa, mwanafunzi na Bernard & Chris wanaweza kuamua wazo hili kuwa kutengeneza kitu kidogo ambacho kitaweza kwenda juu na chini.Wanafunzi watajifunza ufundi wa vyuma na elektroniki wakati wanajaribisha wazo kufanya kazi. Kama tutaona utaratiu huu hauna manufaa mwanzoni kwa sababu Fulani, tutashauriana na mwenye wazo kubadilisha mawazo hayo.Ubunifu unahitaji uchunguzi na kuelewa tatizo, na ubunifu mzuri hauwezi kukamilika mara moja. Baaada ya kukamilisha mradi wake na ukafanya kazi atazawadiwa boxi la vifaa kama zawadi mfano vyuma vya kuchomelea, waya,Mota n.k. Mwanafunzi huyu anaweza kuendeleza mradi wake kwa kutumia vifaa atakavyozawadiwa na kukutana na wabunifu wengine siku ya tafrija kwa ajili ya kuhamasishana zaidi. Tunaamini kuwa wazazi watafurahiya kuona watoto wanavyojibidisha na kupongezwa kwa kazi wanazofanya nah ii inaweza kupelekea wanafunzi wengi kurudi Twende a kuendelea na miradi mingine.

Let’s use the helicopter idea as an example. Because making a life-sized, functioning helicopter is advanced even for technical professors, the student and Bernard & Chris might decide the goal is just to make something small fly up and down. The student will learn mechanical and electrical skills while trying to make this happen. If we realize the initial goal is not possible for some reason, then we’ll come together with the student to reshape her goal. Design requires iterations and understanding the problem - good design does not happen at once. After she does achieve a goal, Twende will give her a toolkit with some small tools like a soldering gun, soldering wire, and a dynamo motor. This student can continue experimenting with the toolkit and meet other successful makers at the celebration lunch to stay inspired. Her parents will be proud to see their child so engaged and successful, and hopefully the student comes back to Twende to keep innovating.

Hatu ya mallengo yetu ya kutengeneza kizazi cha wasuluhishi wa matatizo kibunifu ambao wanaweza kubuni na kutengeneza teknolojia kwa ajili ya kuboresha maisha yao itabidi ianze taratibu na iwe na utaratibu wa muda mrefu kidogo. Hatuwezi kutarajia vitu vikubwa sana kutoka kwa watu ambao hawana uzoefu kabisa kufanya mabadiliko ya hapo kwa hapo.Kwa uwezo tulionao wa kuona tulichonacho kwa muda muafaka, tunaweza kubadili mwelekeo kuhakikisha program zetu ni za uhakika na za gharama nafuu. Tutaendelea kutafuta mawazo sahihi kupata njia sahihi kwa kipindi kijacho.

The steps to our goal of creating a Tanzania of innovative problem solvers who design & make their own life-improving technologies need to be small and part of a longer-term process. We cannot expect people who have little-to-no experience with making to suddenly make the next game-changing, disruptive technology. With our ability to be responsive to what we see on-the-ground in-real-time, we’re able to adjust our directions as needed to ensure our programs are effective and cost-efficient. We will continue trying ideas to find the best way forward.

Asante kwa msaada wako, uliolifanya hili likawezekana.

Thank you for helping make this journey possible!

Frank akionyesha mfano-mtambo wake wa kuvunia maji ya mvua // Frank showing his rainwater harvest sketch model