Teacher Zakariya Dauda Abdulgafar got in touch to share this incredible achievement by students in Lagos, Nigeria. Using nothing but found parts and a used Raspberry Pi, the primary school team built a functioning music player.
Hardware
- Old speaker
- Mini amplifier
- Battery
- Used Raspberry Pi and some wires
Sourcing parts
Zakariya dedicated nearly a full term (three months) of extracurricular activity time to achieving this remarkable success. Countless hours were spent searching through bins and thrift stores for discarded items. The team’s determination and keen eye meant that they could identify speakers that were still in working condition, despite being discarded by others.
Of this laborious part of the process, Zakariya says:
“This pursuit was not only physically demanding but also required a great deal of patience and resourcefulness. We had to think creatively and make the most of the limited resources available to us. It was a valuable lesson for my children, teaching them the importance of perseverance, problem-solving, and finding value in items that others may deem as useless.”
From wiring worries…
Once all of the necessary components had been gathered, the next set of challenges presented themselves. The most difficult part of the build process was making sure that all the wires were connected securely. Neither the students nor their teacher had much experience with this, so they had to slog through with the trial-and-error method until everything was functional.
… to a working music player
Once their wiring worries were behind them, the team connected the music player to a mobile phone via Bluetooth and, lo, it produced sound. We don’t have a video to share with you, sadly, but below are some screenshots from the phone as the device was playing a music track— a very sensibly selected orchestral piece.
The entrepreneurial makers come from St. Peter’s Primary School – Iyesi Ota in Ogun State, Nigeria.
A magnificent feat
As their teacher Zakariya said:
“These children were able to get this far using resources that were close by and visible in their surroundings. If these kids had access to advanced technological tools and applications, I have no doubt they would have created something better and magnificent.”
The students hope their achievement encourages more people to dip their toes into engineering and computing, regardless of how little experience or how few resources they have to start with.
