Students are constantly at work on the factory floor in Goma, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They’re in their sixth year of mechanics at the Institute of Technology and Industry. After two years of work, they have completed the construction of a vehicle out of waste materials.
This accomplishment has been a source of pride for the group and their teacher, and the training is still ongoing today.
Crispin Muyalalo, a teacher, says that whenever they fix a car engine, they always check the injection pump to make sure it is working and delivers a steady flow based on the settings.
The Builders of Max Mad
Max Mad was built by students aged 15 to 20 who used all of their technical skills. It’s the name they came up with for the car, shaped like a Land Rover safari model.
The group of 12 young students had to overcome material and financial difficulties to make their dream a reality. Their efforts were rewarded, and the result exceeded their expectations.
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“When our project was completed, we saw the joy of the city’s residents, and suddenly everyone was interested in our project,” recalls Samuel Ntamwenge. They promoted it on social media, demonstrating their intent, but we require funding. They may have good intentions, but without funding, they will fall short. We are confident that investors will come as time passes.
More On Max Mad
This vehicle was constructed from scrap metal and is powered by a diesel engine. A fuel tank is housed in a canister in the back. The Mad Max consumes 1 litre of oil every 7 kilometres, allowing the car’s fuel consumption to meet international standards.
“We can’t say how much money we spent on this project because we used some discarded elements, but it cost us around $2,500,” says teacher Crispin Muyalalo. We want the world and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to know that there are talents in the DRC and that the young people we supervise are capable of great things because of the car we built.
They began with discarded elements and transformed them into something visible.
The students hope that the Congolese government and other good-hearted people will help them make more prototypes.