The Story Behind RFL

The company started in 2017 when we attended the inaugural first global robotics challenge in Washington DC. We met a lot of representatives from about 180 countries who joined the initiative to see kids build robots and compete on a world stage. This gave us the push to replicate the passion and zeal of sciences through fun and games by way of robots. Myself, the mentor of the team that represented Malawi and a few of the team members then decided to open an organization to volunteer in promoting STEM education in our country through building of robots.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a network of robotics learning platforms across the country that foster innovation, creativity and problem-solving skills among the next generation of Malawian leaders. We believe that robotics is a powerful tool to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills that are essential for today’s dynamic world.

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire and empower young people to pursue STEM careers through engaging and hands-on robotics education. Through partnerships with schools, universities, NGOs and the government.

 

We aim to provide access to robotics resources, training and mentorship for students and teachers across Malawi. 

What our Perfect World Looks like

Growth

To increase our capacity to interact with a much larger community from our city and beyond.

Networking

To be connected to permanent partners in different institutions in different districts that can help in providing financial or otherwise help in organizing our activities.

Progress

To develop a metric that will help us measure our progress

Efficiency

To have strong systems put in place to ease our delivery of services.

Credibility

To acquire the necessary financial and administrative skills to run a non-profit organization successfully.

Female Inclusion

Females have always been discouraged traditionally to pursue sciences, we see this all the time in the hospitals when wards call a female doctor “nurse” because in their core a doctor is male. Well, to do away with this we mentor robotics teams that have 50-50 representation or more on the female side.

 

We also give the females in our organisations and teams the leading roles to encourage other females to join. We are also engaging the females that have already made it in STEM careers to work with us in promoting STEM education through robotics.

 

Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity.

- Tim Minchin

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Our Contribution towards a Sustainable World

In the Malawi growth and development strategy III, we are addressing the key priority area number 3 which is education and skills development. Our activities do not only benefit college students, we are going to secondary schools and introducing robotics in science clubs. This is improving interest in sciences from the students and also giving them design skills they can use in entrepreneurship enterprises.

Meet the rest of the RFL Team

We are a team of passionate and innovative individuals who want to make a positive impact in the world. We have diverse backgrounds and skills, but we share a common vision and mission. We are always looking for new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow. We are excited to introduce ourselves and Robotics Foundation Limited to you!

Co-Founder, Managing Director

Stanley Mbewe

Being fascinated with how electricity works from a young age, Stanley Mbewe persuaded a degree in Electrical Engineering. He graduated from the Polytechnic with a distinction in 2015. After working in the industry for a while, he later joined The Polytechnic as a staff associate in Electronics and Computer Engineering. 

 

He further went and obtained a master’s degree from the Institute of Technology of Addis Ababa University. He is now a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at UCT. His learning approach is a blend between theory and practical. He applies this in his classes by giving practical lab work and projects. In 2017, he co-founded robotics foundation Malawi whose major aim is to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by showing students the fun in learning these subjects through building robots.

Co-Founder, Operations Manager

Janet Esther Kapito

Janet Esther Kapito is a dedicated professional with a BSc (Hons) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. As the Co-founder of Robotics Foundation Limited, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s vision and mission. Janet serves as the Operations Manager and Administrator for RFL Malawi, contributing to the strategic management and efficient functioning of the foundation.

 

Beyond her leadership roles, Janet is a passionate mentor, guiding individuals in the field of robotics. Her enthusiasm for robotics extends to volunteering for the FIRST Global Challenge in 2020 and 2021, showcasing her commitment to advancing STEM education on a global scale.

Social Media Manager

Sally Mwayi Changaya

Sally  Mwayi Changaya is currently a Biomedical Engineering student. Her program is about the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. She does not only limit her knowledge to medical sector as she also has interests and some experience in robotics, drones and agricultural engineering. In 2019 she was chosen to be a member of the team  representing Malawi at the first global robotics challenge in Dubai UAE. In 2022 she was chosen as a volunteer for the 2022 FGC in Geneva Switzerland. She also volunteered at the 2023 FGC in Singapore. 

 

She is innovative, intellectually curious, hardworking and open to learning new ideas and methods. She works well in teams and has good leadership and communication skills.

 

She is also passionate about sports, she is a football player (striker) for MUBAS ladies FC and Blantyre Hotspurs FC in the Football Association of Malawi Women’s league. She plays Ultimate Frisbee as a hobby. Apart from that she likes to travel and go on adventures.

Co-Founder, Finance Manager

Brenald Dzonzi

Brenald Dzonzi, an accomplished Electrical and Electronics Engineer from Malawi, significantly contributes to the Robotics Foundation Limited Malawi, a non-profit organization focused on promoting STEM education through robot building. Graduated from the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic, Brenald has played a pivotal role in Malawi’s digital evolution, particularly through the “Digitize Malawi” initiative. 


His expertise extends to developing machine vision algorithms for early sepsis detection. A passionate educator, Brenald lectures at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences and mentors students in turning ideas into prototypes. He continuously enhances his skills through advanced training, exemplifying leadership in STEM and AI education in Africa.

RFL MALAWI

STEM Education Through Robotics

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