The car, unveiled by President Paul Kagame and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in Kigali, has sparked pride and ambitious aspirations among the students involved.
Speaking to RBA, some team members highlighted the importance of their milestone, describing it as proof of Africa's potential in innovative engineering.
Clemence Iradukunda, one of the students, shared, 'Being part of this project, creating a racing car for the first time in Africa, has inspired me to further refine my skills and contribute to Rwanda's development.'
Félix Ndayizeye, a student who assisted in supervising the project and welding components, emphasized the transformative power of vocational training.
'My responsibilities included welding and supporting our engineer from FIA. After working together, we assembled the required parts. This shows that Rwanda's vocational training programs have immense potential. We've proven that Rwanda can achieve great things, and we're confident about future projects,' he said.
Marc Sibomana, an instructor at IPRC-Kigali, lauded the team's dedication and resilience.
'We learned to work within deadlines and realized that nothing is impossible if we strive to achieve our goals,' he noted.
Dr. Alice Ikuzwe, Deputy Principal in charge of Academics and Training at IPRC-Kigali, encouraged the students to use this accomplishment as a springboard for tackling local challenges.
'Students now understand their capability. They should start identifying and addressing development projects that meet societal needs while creating jobs for others,' she explained.
The car is the first in the world to be built using blueprints provided by the FIA to its Member Clubs as part of the Affordable Cross Car project.
Remarkably, the students completed the vehicle in just one month, working alongside an FIA technician to meet international standards.
This achievement placed Rwanda firmly on the motorsport map and set a powerful example for future innovations by young African engineers.
IGIHE
