Frequently asked questions
For schools and teachers
Which schools can take part? Every secondary school in Unguja and Pemba, public or private.
Who can be in a team? Students in Forms 1 to 5 at the same school. Each team has 3 or 4 students, with at least one girl. A student can be in one team only.
How many teams can a school enter? Up to 3.
Does it cost anything to take part? No. Taking part is free for schools.
Who registers the school? One teacher-mentor per school, approved by the head of school. The teacher registers on this website with their mobile number between 11 January and 5 February 2027.
What if another teacher from my school has already registered? Only one teacher-mentor can be active per school. The organisers will contact your school to agree who it should be.
Is orientation compulsory? Yes. The teacher-mentor must attend a session (21 or 26 January 2027) or watch the recording and confirm it in the portal before submitting.
Do students need their own accounts or phones? No. Students never sign in. The teacher-mentor manages everything.
What does a team need to submit? A project brief, a demo video link, prototype evidence, an AI Use Log, a gallery summary, consent copies for every member and a teacher declaration. See the Rules.
When is the deadline? Friday 2 April 2027 at 23:59 East Africa Time. Submissions lock automatically after the deadline.
Our internet connection is weak. Will uploads work? Yes. Large files upload in parts and resume where they stopped. The site is built to work on low-end phones over 3G.
About projects and AI
Do we need to be good at coding? No. A project can use free AI tools, a chatbot, a simple app, a device, or a creative work. Judges look for a real problem, a sensible use of AI and good thinking, not complex code.
Can we use ChatGPT or other AI tools? Yes, that is the point of the challenge. Record each use in your AI Use Log: what the AI did, what you did yourselves and any mistakes you found.
Can we submit in Kiswahili? Yes. Kiswahili and English are equally welcome, and judges score content, not language.
Can the video show students? Only students whose parents or guardians gave media consent for video. Others can help behind the camera, with their voice, or with captions.
What if a file is too big? Each file can be up to 10 MB. Compress photos, or share a link instead.
Judging, voting and results
How are projects judged? On seven criteria, out of 100 points. See Judging.
Who can vote, and how? Anyone with a Tanzanian mobile number, once per category, using a code sent by SMS. See the Voting rules.
Can we ask people to vote for our project? Yes, you can share your project's link. But buying votes, rewarding votes, using fake or borrowed numbers, or pressuring anyone leads to votes being removed and may lead to disqualification.
Can we see how many votes we have? No. Vote counts are never shown publicly, to keep the vote fair.
What happens if we disagree with a result? The teacher-mentor can appeal within 3 working days of the result being published. See the Rules.
Privacy and safety
What information do you collect about students? Only first name, form and sex, plus media consent and a student code. Never surnames, phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth or photos without consent. See the Privacy notice.
Who sees the consent forms? Only screeners and designated safeguarding leads.
How do I report a concern? Use the Report a concern form. It goes straight to the safeguarding leads.