Our Full Story
The Vision, The Zeal, The Future of Tech in Africa.
Who We Are
We are a community of passionate high school students from across Rwanda, united by a shared dream: to prove that African youth can lead in technology and innovation.
We call ourselves the Silicon Valley of Africa (SVA) not because we’ve made it yet — but because we believe it’s possible. We’re building a future where Rwandan students don’t just participate in global tech — they shape it.
Through robotics, coding, and problem-solving, we’re empowering ourselves and others to think like engineers, act like leaders, and build like innovators.
Our Mission
To empower African youth with cutting-edge technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to solve local challenges and compete globally.
Our Vision
To build Africa’s first true innovation ecosystem — a Silicon Valley born from African soil, talent, and ambition.
Our Core Values
Integrity
We lead with honesty, transparency, and accountability in everything we do.
Innovation
We challenge the status quo and build the future through bold ideas.
Collaboration
We believe greatness is built together — across borders, disciplines, and generations.
Creativity
We solve problems with imagination, artistry, and fearless thinking.
Meet Our Founders
Kaleeba Ismael
Co-Founder & Visionary
A relentless innovator from Kigali, driving SVA's mission to put African tech on the global map.
Olav
Co-Founder & Tech Lead
A robotics prodigy and coder, leading the engineering charge for SVA’s FRC 2026 dream.
Our Robotics Team: Lyrc
We formed Lyrc "Phos Khoinonia" after our experience in the FLL competition in Rwanda. Inspired by what we learned, we decided to take the next step: building a full-scale robot to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) 2026.
Our name, Greek for "Light of Fellowship", reflects our belief that innovation happens best when we work together — across schools, backgrounds, and disciplines.
As students from different high schools across Rwanda, we meet regularly to design, build, and program robots that solve real-world challenges. Our dream? To represent Africa on the global stage in Houston, Texas.
Our Journey
2023
Each of us participating in FLL and FTC representing their schools.
2024
Union of all our talents from our diffrent schools to reach something big!
2025
Preparing for the competition.
2026
Representing Africa at FIRST Robotics Competition in Houston.
Our Mission
To empower Rwandan youth with hands-on experience in robotics, engineering, and STEM — so they can solve real problems and compete on the world stage.
Our Vision
To create Africa’s first true innovation hub — where young minds from across the continent come together to learn, build, and lead.
Voices of SVA
What our team says about building the future.
"The future is bright"
"We are trying to shape the future of different youth minds."
Join the Movement
Be part of Africa’s tech revolution. Whether you're a mentor, sponsor, or future innovator — your place is here.
Join the Movement