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The National Commission for Children (NCC) has officially received kits of parts from FIRST Global at the DHL Office in Freetown to support Team Sierra Leone’s preparations for the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge, scheduled to take place in Incheon, South Korea, from October 7 to 11, 2026.
Deputy Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs Buakai Hindowa Bindi, who received the kits on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, commended FIRST Global for its continued partnership with the NCC.
He said the annual competition provides an opportunity for children to broaden their horizons in innovation and technology, which he described as a strategic priority of the government under the National Medium-Term Development Plan.
The Deputy Minister noted that President Julius Maada Bio’s Human Capital Development initiatives place children at the centre of national development, adding that participation in high-level robotics competitions alongside young people from around the world helps prepare Sierra Leonean children for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He said President Bio is proud of the participating children and encouraged them to represent Sierra Leone well and bring laurels to the country.
Bindi also commended the NCC for its efforts in establishing partnerships that promote child participation, particularly in issues that have the potential to affect their lives.
In his remarks, Deputy Commissioner of the NCC, Henry Sheku, said the team had already commenced intensive training and that the arrival of the robotics kits marks an important step in their journey to South Korea.
He said Team Sierra Leone is prepared to develop, build and programme its robot in line with this year’s theme, “Igniting Innovation.”
Sheku assured that the NCC will continue to provide guidance and establish strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening the participation and empowerment of children in Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile, Team Captain Kadija Mabel Tarawallie, an SS2 pupil of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Freetown, expressed the team’s readiness for the competition, noting that the theme resonates strongly with issues affecting Sierra Leone and other parts of the world.
She explained that the team’s goal is to develop, build and programme a device capable of detecting fires at an early stage while supporting fire prevention and response efforts to help protect communities and the ecosystem.
Tarawallie noted that fire outbreaks in Freetown have significantly affected children and the environment. She expressed appreciation to the NCC for providing the team with an opportunity to participate in an internationally recognised robotics competition alongside their peers from around the world.
