What is the name of your organization?
Common Code Foundation
What is the name of your solution?
Robotics For Good Botswana
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Empowering Botswana’s youth with robotics and AI education to drive financial inclusion, workforce development, and economic resilience
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Francistown, Botswana
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Botswana
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
In Botswana and much of Africa, youth face significant barriers to financial inclusion and workforce participation due to limited access to digital education, financial literacy, and employment opportunities. Over 60% of Botswana’s population is under 30, yet youth unemployment stands at 27.6%. Additionally, only 29% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa have bank accounts, while two billion people globally work in informal economies, limiting their access to financial tools. The digital divide further worsens inequality—nearly 90% of students in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to a computer at home.
These gaps stem from low technological literacy, lack of digital infrastructure, and minimal incentives for financial service providers to support underbanked communities. Without targeted interventions, young people remain excluded from economic opportunities, exacerbating poverty and inequality.
Robotics For Good Botswana directly addresses these challenges by equipping youth with AI, robotics, and financial technology skills to improve workforce readiness, increase digital participation, and promote financial inclusion.
What is your solution?
Robotics For Good Botswana is a hands-on training program that teaches youth AI, robotics, and financial technology skills to improve digital participation and economic inclusion.
Our program provides students with robotics kits, coding lessons, and AI-driven problem-solving activities, enabling them to build and program robots that simulate real-world tasks. These include automated financial transactions, digital identity verification, and fintech applications, helping students understand how technology can be used for financial services and workforce development.
We use open-source AI models, IoT-enabled robotics, and blockchain-based digital identity systems to teach students how technology powers modern financial tools. Through interactive workshops, mentorship, and hackathons, students gain the skills needed for digital entrepreneurship, employment in tech-driven industries, and access to financial services.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Robotics For Good Botswana primarily serves young people, particularly students from underrepresented and underserved communities, including rural areas where access to digital skills training is limited. Many of these students face barriers to quality STEM education, leaving them unprepared for the digital economy. Women and girls are also a key focus, as they remain significantly underrepresented in technology fields.
Our solution provides free, hands-on robotics, AI, and coding training, equipping youth with future-ready skills. By engaging in practical learning, mentorship, and competitions, students gain problem-solving abilities, technical expertise, and innovation experience. These skills open doors to career opportunities in STEM, bridging the digital divide and fostering local talent.
Beyond skill development, Robotics For Good Botswana empowers participants to apply technology for social good, such as using robots in disaster response efforts. This not only enhances their employability but also instills a sense of purpose and leadership. By making STEM education more accessible and inclusive, our initiative creates a pathway for youth to break cycles of poverty, drive local innovation, and contribute to Botswana’s digital transformation.
