Group photo , opposite right : The African Drone and Data Academy , managed by the Center for International Research , Education , and Development , has graduated over 300 students in just two years . Photo courtesy of Emma Bussard . Photo opposite left : An ADDA student and instructor test the drone they constructed out in the field . Photo courtesy of ADDA staff .
ADDA recently graduated its second in-person class of 16 students , amounting to 331 graduates since the program ’ s inception . The in-person graduates earn Malawi remote pilot licenses and complete the AUVSI Trusted Operator Program , which teaches students about safety and risk management practices valued by employers and customers .
Theodore Kamunga Regeza is one such student . Native to Congo , Regeza resided in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi at the time of joining ADDA . After graduating in March 2020 , he is now employed as a drone pilot by Swoop Aero , Congo ’ s first medical drone vaccination program , which assists people in rural areas in accessing life-saving commodities .
After graduation , student Hafsatu Sesay , who is native to Sierra Leone , works with that country ’ s government as a drone technical lead under the Directorate of Science , Technology , and Innovation . Sesay helps facilitate development of the drone ecosystem , including use of the already established UNICEF-funded humanitarian drone testing corridor . The corridor allows companies from all over the world to test their humanitarian solutions for emergency medical deliveries , search and rescue , and mapping for predictive analysis .
“ ADDA is an incredibly unique program that is already making an impact across Africa ,” said Suresh Muthukrishnan , chair of the Department of Earth , Environmental , and Sustainability Sciences at Furman University , an ADDA collaborator . “ It feels great to be recognized for the work we are doing in Malawi , and the award is just the boost these students need to realize their ambitious but achievable development goals . I attribute the success of this program to the passion and commitment from Furman , Virginia Tech , and UNICEF Malawi along with the local university partners in Malawi .”
Over half of ADDA graduates are women , and the majority are under the age of 30 . Virginia Tech students have also participated in training the academy ’ s students .
Brady Deaton is interim executive director of the Center for International Research , Education , and Development , part of Outreach and International Affairs . He said development goals such as zero hunger are in greater reach if programs like ADDA continue to capture the talents and passions of young people .
“ ADDA is accomplishing many goals at the forefront of our mission as a center — not only do we want to address global challenges such as food security and public health , we want to build local capacity to do so as well ,” he said . “ Youth involved in this program are clearly eager to learn and eager to share what they ’ ve learned , which is tantamount to catalyzing technological advancement . We are excited to watch this program ’ s potential grow on the international stage and to continue to bring together participants of a wide range of backgrounds .”
Winners of the AUVSI awards were announced in August 2021 during AUVSI XPONENTIAL , the nonprofit organization ’ s annual conference .
ADDA students apply their drone skills to addressing a number of humanitarian needs in the areas of agriculture , health , and the environment . Photo courtesy of Tadala Erica Chikopa .
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