Morocco’s High Atlas Club Shines in Arab Robotics Championship

Rabat – Despite their young age and difficult upbringings, the High Atlas Club members were determined to prove themselves as they collected nominations and prizes from national and global robotics competitions, particularly the 13th edition of the Arab Robotics Championship in Egypt.

The club consists of ten primary school students – eight girls and two boys – with ages ranging from 11 to 13 years old. They come from Tasguint, a small secluded village in the Taroudant region at the High Atlas Mountains, and go to the Al Mandhar Al Jamil scholar group.

The club participated in the Arabs Robotics Championship thanks to the STEM Equity Community Innovation Grant offered by the First Lego League Morocco, a program that aims to engage children in the field of science and technology.

The Arab Robotics Championship, which took place between July 1 and 4 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt saw the participation of 120 teams, including four from Morocco. During their participation in the tournament, the High Atlas Club claimed two prizes: They won third place in the Robot Game category and first place in the Motivation Award category.

Overcoming challenges

Being children from an undeveloped, secluded village, it was not easy for the High Atlas Club to participate in the tournament, especially the girls, who make up the majority of the team. It is rare for parents in the region to let their daughters continue their education, and the issue of underage marriage is highly present in the village. Girls as young as 16 years old are usually forced to get married.

Throughout their participation in the competitions, the team faced many struggles from a low internet connection and reception in the region to the difficulty of finding the means to commute to events and competitions.

Ayoub Chouiref, a teacher at the Al Mandhar Al Jamil scholar groups where the club members study, has been coordinating the group and supporting them every step of the way.

“At first the parents were hesitant about their children’s participation in the competitions, especially the girls,” Chouiref, told Morocco World News. But soon after, the parents became more and more supportive of the club, especially upon seeing how determined their children were and the great results they have achieved, Chouiref explained.

The teacher recalled the team’s excitement when they first received the gear for the competition, which seemed challenging for them at first, as they live in a secluded village with little to no access to technology. But thanks to their determination, they were able to learn coding, robotics basics, and the skills necessary to yield outstanding results.

Chouiref, who has offered the High Atlas Club unconditional support, both financially and morally, credited the club’s success to its members’ self-discipline, motivation, and hard work.

Innovative project

The club participated in the Arab Robotics Championship with an innovative project that addressed the delivery issue the Tasguint village suffers from. Due to the village’s remote location, locals “have to make a two-hour round trip to pick up their orders,” said Laila Berchane, Director and co-founder of Play Academy.

Berchane, who was also of great help to the High Atlas Club, contributed to bringing innovative STEM programs to Morocco for the benefit of young people, especially girls, including the First Lego League and World Robot Olympiad.

Speaking about the club’s project, Berchane said: “The solution could be life-changing for these villagers, who sacrifice a lot of their time, money, and effort to pick up their orders and sometimes even groceries.”

Following the High Atlas Club’s participation in the tournament and the remarkable results they achieved, the entire Tasguint village celebrated the young children’s success in a huge ceremony with traditional Amazigh music and dances.

A learning experience

Speaking about his experience at the Arab Robotics Championship in Egypt, Ismail, one of the High Atlas Club members, told Morocco World News: “I have learned a lot from the competition, such as teamwork, problem-solving,” as well as coding and robotics basics.

Ismail especially enjoyed his trip to Egypt, which was an opportunity for him to meet other robotics enthusiasts from across the Arab world. Grateful for the opportunity he was given to participate in the tournament, Ismail hopes to benefit from other grants and initiatives and be able to participate in similar competitions in the future.

Berchane expressed satisfaction with the remarkable outcomes of her academy and the initiatives it supports. “We made an impact and lit a small spark” of interest in stem and technology among young people, she said.

The team “experienced a lot of first times this year,” Berchane noted, explaining that it was their first time learning about building and programming a robot, their first time participating in a large-scale competition, and their first time leaving their village. It was also their first time “winning various awards, and the hearts of many people,” she added.