African first Drone and Data Academy opened in Malawi

Yamikani Phiri

The first African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA)has opened in Malawi, UNICEF has announce Monday, Jan 13. 

In its statement, UNICEF said the move is part of efforts to promote the use of drones in programs and services that will impact the lives of children and young people. 

“Humanitarian and development program delivery in Africa and beyond can benefit significantly from the application of drone technology,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore in the statement. 

According to Fore, the ADDA will be instrumental in equipping young people with the skills they need to use the technology to benefit children and their communities. 

He said building on the work of Africa’s first humanitarian corridor which was launched in Malawi in 2017, the academy will develop expertise in the use of drones for humanitarian, development and commercial purposes across the continent through a 12-week course. 

According to him the projects plans to train approximately 150 students to build and pilot drones by 2021 as UNICEF’s partners will provide free tuition to the first cohort of 26 students from across Africa of which16 students are from Malawi and 10 from across Africa with more than half of students (55 per cent) women with undergraduate degrees in science, technology or engineering.  

Director of Malawi’s Department of Civil Aviation, James Chakwera, said in their country they strongly believe that adopting modern technologies such as drones and advanced data analysis and management techniques will help them to serve their children better.  

The curriculum is said to have been developed in partnership with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) following its successful delivery of training workshops in Malawi since 2017. 

The course will combine theoretical and practical methodologies in making, testing and flying drones.  

By 2022, the academy will run a tuition-free two-year master’s degree program in drone technology, in conjunction with Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). 

It will also deliver a curriculum that will build local capacity and a favorable ecosystem for the emergence of sustainable business models for using drones for humanitarian and development missions, according to the statement. 

“The ADDA reflects Virginia Tech’s ongoing commitment to the innovative application of drone technology and education in Malawi and the Africa region,” said Kevin Kochersberger, associate professor at Virginia Tech who will lead the project. 

The academy will give graduates the necessary skills for jobs using drone applications ranging from agriculture and health to natural resources monitoring. 

In Tibet, Parents Plead for Children to Help Collect Caterpillar Fungus

It’s caterpillar fungus harvesting season in Tibet, and parents have staged protests urging Chinese authorities to let their children leave a residential boarding school to help collect the rare ingredient used in traditional medicine, two sources inside the region said.

Read More

Vietnamese Monk Seeks Justice for Brother Who Died after Police Interrogation

In March 2015, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported that from October 2011 to September 2014, there were 226 deaths in detention facilities nationwide. The Ministry of Public Security explained them as being due to illness and suicide. Since then, no further reports have been issued.

Read More

Hamas Reviews Israeli Cease-Fire Plan in Gaza

Israel has proposed a cease-fire plan for Gaza, which Hamas says it is reviewing. This follows after an Egyptian delegation visited Israel, during which officials described a “new vision” for a prolonged end of hostilities.

Read More

Taxi System Powered by Electric Cars Developed by Nigerian Company

The need for sustainable solutions becomes more pressing as climate change wreaks havoc around the world. In Nigeria, a private company recently introduced an Uber-style taxi system made of approximately 200 electric vehicles.

Read More

Myanmar Junta Attack on Hospital Kills 4, Many Injured

A Myanmar junta airstrike on a hospital in the west of the country has killed four people, including patients and staff, and wounded 15, a rebel group told Radio Free Asia on Friday. 

Read More

To Tackle Militant Attacks,Nigeria Considers Introduction of State Police Across the Country

As part of measures to tackle the militant attacks, mass kidnappings, and banditry activities that have plagued the nation, Nigeria is considering establishing state police throughout all 36 of its states. The violence has overwhelmed the country’s police force, which numbers over 300,000 members.The state police are an addition to this force. Nigerians cautiously welcome the move.

Read More

2 Decades on, Families of Tak Bai Incident Victims Seek Justice

Nearly two decades after the Tak Bai Incident where over 80 people died in Thailand’s insurgency-stricken southern border region, the victims’ families filed a lawsuit on Thursday against government officials allegedly involved in the deaths. 

Read More

On US University Campuses, Pro-Palestinian Protests Spread

Pro-Palestinian protests take place on college campuses across the country every day. Students are protesting against the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and demanding that humanitarian aid be allowed to flow into the territory.It seems that the protests are not dying down while several students and demonstrators have been suspended or detained.

Read More

From Our Popular You Tube Video Uploads

From Our Archive

We Do Believe that Digital Publication is the Best Way for Communication and Spreading Awareness

This Website is Run by Professionals With 15-20 Years of Journalism Experience

Learn More