🇧🇫Burkina FasoWest Africa
Burkinabe youth use technology for creation, not just consumption, with agricultural robots and drone applications
via Lefaso.net4 min read
Mohamed Sanfo and Rayan Sanfo, both 13, are building agricultural robots that can plant, sow, and water, preparing for an international competition in Switzerland. This project has shifted their perspective on technology from passive consumption to active creation. Mohamed uses his smartphone for educational videos, research, and communication, while Rayan uses his for messaging, games, and information, recognizing the link between robotics programming and phone applications. Irfan Sanfo, 15, developed "Tengpalé," an application for farmers connected to a drone. This drone surveys fields, detects arid areas and plant anomalies, and sends notifications with advice, including a system to adjust water supply. Irfan uses her phone for training, including learning Mandarin, and aims to develop a local hygienic cotton industry. Her journey with technology began at age 7. Their coach, Younoussa Sanfo, a cybersecurity and digital investigation expert, promotes an educational approach to phone use rather than prohibition. He emphasizes that the phone is a tool and that user behavior makes the difference. He highlights the importance of awareness, dialogue, and setting an example. The children's curiosity has been guided from a young age through playful and educational activities, demonstrating a path of creation over consumption in technology use.
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