First LEGO LEAGUE Competition - Maranyundo succeeds once again!
Inside the Maranyundo Girls School First LEGO LEAGUE Competion Journey
At the Maranyundo Girls School, the future is being shaped not just in classrooms, but in the minds of young girls who are building robots, creating solutions to help the environment, and solving real-world problems.
This year, a team of 10 energized MGS students proudly calling themselves the Maran Lego Aquaflares stepped into the national spotlight at the First LEGO LEAGUE (FLL) National Championship Rwanda 2024–2025. Their journey began far from the buzz of the championship stage. It began in the school’s makerspace, where ideas were nurtured with curiosity and experimentation.
The girls designed and coded robots that competed on a mission-based table. Every movement was the result of collaboration, strategy, and trial and error.
Tackling Plastic Pollution: The Innovation Project
Under the theme "Submerged," the team tackled a pressing issue: plastic waste is choking aquatic ecosystems. Their solution? A sensor-equipped, two-chambered device that can collect plastic while safely returning aquatic life back to the water. It was innovative, thoughtful, and deeply personal because for these girls, protecting the environment is not just a project; it’s a mission to keep their planet clean.
Makerspace Projects that Promote Innovation
Alongside their FLL achievements, the girls also showcased other groundbreaking projects:
iAttend: A fingerprint-based attendance system that sends real-time data to Google Sheets. Simple. Smart. Impactful.
Robot Arm: A prosthetic limb prototype created with 3D design software and aimed at restoring dignity and movement for people with limb differences.
FactShield: An AI-powered app developed to identify and combat misinformation online.
FactShield, in particular, captured national attention the next month during the AI Hackathon, showing that when girls are given tools and trust, they build with purpose.
The Maranyundo Girls School is preparing students for life, leadership, and global citizenship. The girls’ participation in FLL is a window into a wider ecosystem of innovation and education that values curiosity, creativity, and compassion. The girls demonstrated exceptional teamwork, respect, and inclusion throughout the competition. Whether coding or cheering on other teams, they showed what it means to lift others while striving for excellence.
“Now I know I can be an engineer.” “It’s not just about coding—it’s about thinking.”
“We worked as a team. We failed, we tried again. That’s how we grow.”
For the girls, the future is now. And the Maranyundo girls are leading the way.
