Children Spotlight for the Month: Lesedi Moloi ,Young Innovator Driving Environmental Change Through Robotics
At just 12 years old, Lesedi Moloi from Reddford House Blue Hills in Midrand, South Africa, has earned global recognition for her groundbreaking invention, a robotics sorter that efficiently organizes rubbish into various recycling categories using Lego blocks. Her innovation, which merges technical coding skills with environmental awareness, earned her distinction in the Inspired Build 2023 Global Inter-School Technology Challenge, one of the world’s leading platforms for young technological talent.
The competition, hosted by St. Louis School of Milan, drew participants from 111 schools across 24 countries on five continents, with nearly 100 robot entries submitted in each age category. Lesedi competed in the Age 11–12 division, where her project stood out for its creativity, functionality, and commitment to addressing real-world environmental challenges.
Her robotics sorter was designed to identify and separate waste materials (represented by Lego blocks) into appropriate recycling categories, a concept that demonstrates how young innovators can use technology to promote sustainability. According to Michael Maher, Robotics Teacher at Reddford House Blue Hills, “Lesedi’s work is a shining example of technical acumen and environmental awareness. Her ability to seamlessly code and execute the robot’s function left us all in awe.”
The Inspired Build Challenge encourages learners aged 7 to 13 to explore robotics and engineering within an annual themed challenge. The 2023 edition, titled “Environmental Innovation,” invited participants to use technology to tackle pressing global issues such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, and resource conservation. Lesedi, alongside five other students from Reddam House Bedfordview, helped place South Africa firmly in the global spotlight, collectively earning awards in three of the six competition categories.
Lesedi’s success exemplifies how innovation knows no age or boundary. Her project not only highlights the power of education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) but also underscores the importance of nurturing young minds to think critically about the planet’s future.
