Three pupils from Jahunda Primary School in Gwanda District have won the Robo-Starter Elementary title at the Zimbabwe World Robotics Championship after develo...
Three pupils from Jahunda Primary School in Gwanda District have won the Robo-Starter Elementary title at the Zimbabwe World Robotics Championship after developing an application designed to help farmers protect livestock from thieves and wild animals.
The pupils, who are members of the Jahunda Primary Robotics Club, developed the project known as the Smart Kraal Guard, an automatic and low-cost system designed to improve security around livestock kraals at night. The team comprises Kimberly Saguni, a Grade 4 pupil, Amanda Mathema from Grade 5 and Nobuhle Sibanda from Grade 6.
The project was developed in response to livestock theft and attacks by wild animals, which affect communities that depend on livestock farming. The system uses movement and distance sensors positioned around a model kraal to detect activity close to the livestock enclosure.
When the sensors detect movement in the dark, the system responds by switching on bright lights and activating a loud alarm. It also sends a signal to alert the farmer, allowing the livestock owner to respond when activity is detected around the kraal.
Jahunda Primary robotics patron Sibonginkosi Mugomo said the project was intended to provide a simple and affordable solution to a problem faced by farmers in Gwanda and surrounding communities. She said the system was designed with the needs of local livestock farmers in mind.
“Our project is called the Smart Kraal Guard. It’s an automatic system made to protect livestock kraals from wild animals and thieves at night. We put distance and movement sensors around a model kraal,” Mugomo said.
“When something comes too close in the dark, the system automatically flashes bright lights and sets off a loud alarm. It also sends a signal to alert the farmer,” she said.
Mugomo said the project was developed through the school’s Robotics Club, where pupils worked with basic equipment and used the classroom and school library as their working spaces. The pupils first tested their ideas using cardboard models before moving to practical tests at the school’s farm field and gates.
“We don’t have a fancy computer lab, so we turned our classroom and school library into our workshop during club sessions. We used basic electronic kits and simple software. First, we tested our ideas using cardboard models,” she said.
The team later tested the system outdoors to see how it performed under different conditions. Mugomo said the pupils worked with real light, wind and noise while testing the project and relied on repeated practice to improve the system despite having limited equipment.
“Then, we took our project outside to the school farm field and gates to test it in real light, wind and noise. What we lacked in expensive equipment, we made up for with team practice,” she said.
Mugomo said the pupils were also encouraged by support from Girls in STEM, which helped generate interest in science and technology. To make robotics and coding easier for the young learners, the club used simple visual blocks rather than requiring them to begin with complex computer programming.
She said the approach allowed pupils to immediately see the results of their work. A completed section of code could make a light switch on, a motor move or a horn sound, helping the learners understand the relationship between programming and the physical components of the project.
“Every time they wrote a piece of code, something physical happened right away—a light turned on, a motor turned, or a horn sounded,” Mugomo said.
The club also used simple descriptions to help the pupils understand the role of different components. Mugomo said sensors were explained as the eyes and ears of the robot, while lights and buzzers were described as its voice.
The limited availability of equipment also meant that pupils had to learn how to repair components when they failed. Mugomo said broken sensors and wires could not simply be replaced, forcing the learners to identify and fix problems themselves.
She said one of the challenges was helping young pupils distinguish between a programming error and a physical problem such as a loose wire. The team also experienced difficulties with downloading code packages and updates, which meant they had to plan their work and operate offline where possible.
Despite these challenges, the pupils managed to take their project to the Zimbabwe World Robotics Championship in Bulawayo, where they won the Robo-Starter Elementary title. The result marked an achievement for the school and its Robotics Club.
Mugomo said the victory had changed the way the pupils viewed technology and their own abilities. She said the learners now saw themselves as potential inventors and engineers rather than viewing technology as something limited to children from larger schools or cities.
“Winning top prize in the country showed them that age and where you come from don’t limit how smart you are. They no longer see technology as something only people in big cities can do,” she said.
The success has also had an impact beyond the three pupils who competed. Mugomo said the achievement had encouraged other learners at Jahunda Primary to take an interest in computers, coding and robotics.
She said some older pupils who previously viewed coding and computers as difficult were encouraged after seeing younger learners take part in robotics and win a national competition. The school has subsequently seen increased interest in joining the Robotics Club.
The Smart Kraal Guard project also reflects the club’s focus on applying technology to practical problems in the community. Rather than developing a project only for competition purposes, the pupils focused on livestock security, an issue that affects farmers who depend on their animals.
Mugomo said the system was designed to be affordable and useful to the local farming community, particularly in areas where livestock farmers face problems caused by both thieves and wild animals.
The Jahunda Primary team was led by school head Silas Moyo, with robotics patrons Portia Mushana and Mugomo supporting the pupils. The three learners represented the school’s Robotics Club at the national competition.
The pupils’ next objective is to continue developing their robotics skills and participate in competitions outside Zimbabwe. Mugomo said the team also wants to work on larger and more advanced projects as the learners gain more experience.
The Robo-Starter Elementary award has therefore given the Jahunda Primary pupils an opportunity to build on their work in robotics while showing how basic technology can be applied to problems faced by their own community.
For Kimberly Saguni, Amanda Mathema and Nobuhle Sibanda, the Smart Kraal Guard began as a school robotics project. It has now earned them national recognition and given their school a platform to encourage more pupils to explore coding, robotics and technology.
