Alexander Mtambo - Malawi

Alexander is the President of ADDA’s cohort one student body. He  recently graduated with an honors degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Malawi. While in school he worked with Telkom Networks Malawi Limited (TNM). There he worked in the Radio Access Network (RAN) department and was part of the team that installed  4G network in more than 10 districts in Malawi. Later on he moved into the Value Added Services (VAS) department where he was managing Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and Short Message Service Center (SMSC) platforms. After graduating he worked with Rice 360 Institute for global health in the United Stated where he collaborated with other student to build a medical device that helps patients with large wounds to heal faster. He also worked on with the National Statistical Office and Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) as a research assistant on the usage of ICT in both public and private institutions. Now he owns his own company, ACE Engineering Group www.ace-mw.com.

“I got into ADDA because I want to use drone technology to improve the economy of Malawi. Agriculture accounts for about 42 percent of Malawi’s GDP and 81 percent of export earnings. Drone use in agriculture can boost production through improving and optimizing agriculture operations and ultimately increase crop production. Through the use of drones with sensors and digital imaging devices, farmers can have a richer picture of their farms and make decisions accordingly which ultimately will help to improve Malawi’s GDP,” says Alexander. 

Alexander has learnt a lot about the science behind building drones. With these new skills and knowledge, he plans to design his own drones with specific fittings to help solve problems faced by rural populations.

“I hope that the rules and regulations in the country will continue to accommodate the use of drones because after ADDA, I plan to use my company to transfer my skills to youths with skills that I have gained,” concludes Alexander.