By Linda Kwanjana
The Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) Foundation in partnership with an innovation firm, Nxtgen Labs, has equipped 20 passionate students from Mtandile with essential Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills, digital creativity, and problem-solving techniques.
The SKC Foundation, formed in memory of the departed Vice President Saulos Chilima by his widow Mary Chilima, signed a partnership agreement with Nxtgen Labs that will continuously empower young talent, nurture and mentor future innovators.
The two organisations recently held a four-day Future AI Boot Camp where 20 students from Chimutu Day secondary school underwent an immersive Artificial Intelligence introductory computer training program led by youthful mentors with IT expertise.
Chairperson of the SKC Foundation Mary Chilima said she was impressed with the skills that the students got during the training.
“One of the objectives of the SKC Foundation is to promote youth leadership development and mindset change. By introducing these girls and boys to the world of Artificial Intelligence, we are expanding their world view and promoting an innovative mindset. This approach allows our Malawian children to leapfrog over infrastructural obstacles into a brighter future,” Chilima.
Nxtgen Labs Founder and Director Eugene Maseya hailed the partnership with the SKC Foundation saying it will help many young people gain useful skills to foster innovation and be self-sufficient.
“At Nxtgen Labs, we believe in the power of education to change lives. With the establishment of our partnership with the SKC Foundation, we are set to create meaningful educational experiences that foster innovation initially in the Mtandire community and thereafter in other communities across the country,” said Maseya.
One of the students who attended the Boot Camp, Marriam Mtima, a form three student from Chimutu Community Day Secondary School hailed the training saying she is now confident of doing well in her studies with the help of AI.
“Of course, I didn’t know about AI but when I was introduced to it, I have found it beneficial especially in my studies where it has simplified some of the difficult things I could not understand,” said Mtima
