By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Jan 31, GNA – Dabokpa Technical Institute in Tamale has manufactured a tricycle as part of efforts to reduce importation of the product into the country.
The new tricycle, which is capable of carrying six passengers including the rider, is to serve as means of transport for the population.
Some students and tutors of the school rode the newly manufactured tricycle from the school’s premises in Tamale to Jana in the Nanton District, over 15 kilometres, to exhibit it during a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEM) Festival held for some Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Northern Region.
The STEM Festival, organised by Health, Education, Research and Policy (HERPol) – Africa, a Tamale-based non-governmental organisation, was to encourage creativity and innovation to propel the country’s development.
Other innovations exhibited during the event included bit-roller machine, stand-alone power system, parabolic solar cooker, smart bin, machine for recycling of plastics into pavement blocks amongst others.
The participating schools included Vittin SHS, Tamale Girls SHS, Tamale Islamic Science SHS, and Saint Charles Minor Seminary SHS.
The items exhibited were assessed for prizes with Dabokpa Technical Institute (Auto Department) emerging overall winners followed by Vittin SHS while the Dabokpa Technical Institute took the third position, they were all given undisclosed amounts of money.
Dr Osman Dufailu, Executive Director of HERPol-Africa, speaking during the event, said the items exhibited shows that “we have the potential, and when invested in, we will have a great nation.”
Dr Dufailu advised the students to keep putting their ideas into practice and use their social media platforms to advertise them to gain results.
Mr Martin Awane Adongo, Head of Auto Department at Dabokpa Technical Institute expressed delight at emerging overall winners during the exhibition saying it encouraged them to do more to solve society’s challenges.
He appealed for support in terms of equipment to enable them to do more to serve the needs of society.
Dr Raymond Kazapoe, a Lecturer at the School of Engineering, University for Development Studies, was impressed by the items exhibited saying the school was focused on innovation to solve problems of communities.
He said, “some of the items such as the solar cookers are not at full scale where they are usable, but they have practical applications, which when invested in, could be used to solve problems of society.”
He advised the students to keep working to improve on ideas, adding that, “This is just the beginning. You see a problem; you try to solve it. Even if you do not solve that particular problem, you may end up finding a solution to another problem.”
GNA