ARO Fablab JUNIOURS

ARO Fablab has introduced Fablab Juniour programme besides other programmes. The goal of Fablab-Juniour programme is to train the kids to be innovative and creative in life. We as the Fablabians feel that African kids don’t really get opportunities to practice to be creative and innovative yet some of them have the skills and the abilities to do so.  Most of the kids who use the Fablab are the ARO orphans as the rest of the kids come from the Majiwa vicinity.

Being that the kids lack computer skills we don’t teach them computer programs a lot. We have shown them what the different computer programs can do and some are so interested in trying to touch the keyboards to do something. Most kids are interested in making things using their hands (practicals).

It is so easy to deal with the kids because they don’t fear making mistakes. Children are born with the natural ability to be innovative, and very creative; no structured training is needed for them. Apart from what we have in the Fablab, we need to provide them with plenty of basic stuff; like cardboard boxes, lots of recycled items like boxes, plastic bottles etc. They need things that they can make into whatever they decide or even make that decision after it is made or built. Playing with all these things give them  room to be creative.

They make what comes into their minds unlike the adults who want to be very précised on what they do.  The kids who come to the lab do work with cardboards, eg joining parts of what has already been printed on laser to make a real thing. When we give the kids pieces to join, they play with them trying to put them together to make a real thing and in the end they make it!!!!

Brian has joined the parts of the giraffe and now paints it.	Sharon learns to use the computer as the other ARO orphans look on.

The orphans look on as laser prints	Kids display their first laser works

The kids also make different things from legos. We ask the kids what they want to make out of the pieces of the legos and they say totally different things. Some say they want to make aeroplanes, others cars while most female kids always go for  making dolls which is very realistic because they realise at some point they will become mothers. Most kids check out the manuals brought with the legos and they try to make same things as in the manuals which is supper.

Brian and Carlton	Lego art

The orphans do the legos	This kid tried to make a house out of the legos but she missed the roof. She promised to finish the roof the next time she comes to the lab.

Meeting days
The fab juniours  meet once a week on Saturdays to use the Fablab since during the weekdays they go to school. Since we have 100 orphans, only 20 have visited the Fablab. This is because not all of the can be in the Fablab at ones and they also have other programs on Saturdays. So we plan to take 20 orphans each to the Fablab on Saturdays.

Other kids who are available on weekdays sometimes visit the lab from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. These are kids from the vicinity.

Timetable for the Fablab Junior