Belize Takes Robotics to the World: Meet Wagüchi

Team Belize is primed to represent the nation at the First Global Challenge 2024 in Athens, Greece, to showcase its innovative robot, Wagüchi.

While the name Wagüchi translates to “our father” in Garifuna, it also symbolises the team’s strong connection to their ancestral roots, with an adopted figurative meaning of “ancestral roots.”

The team comprises five dedicated high school students: Team Captain Aurayanna Shepherd, 16; Lia Hunt, 16; Ximin Huang, 15; Liam Lizarraga, 15; and Leandro Avila, 13. Together, they have worked tirelessly with a larger school team to design, build, and program Wagüchi and enhance its functionality.

The team, made up of students from first to fourth form, departed this morning to Greece.

The First Global Challenge is an international robotics competition that encourages youths from around the world to tackle pressing global issues through technology. Taking place from September 26-29, 2024, the event will see participants from over 190 countries gather in Athens.

The competition aims to make science and technology as celebrated in the same manner traditional sports do, inspiring the next generation to pursue STEM fields.