For three students in Vietnam, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow was a special stage for them to unleash their potential and realize their dream for creativity and innovation.

Le Hang, Tuong Vy, and Tuyet Nhi are high school students that won Vietnam’s Solve for Tomorrow in 2020. To these students, who come from the countryside, Solve for Tomorrow was a dream-come-true experience where they realized that dedication could lead them to great places. How did the trio beat over 400 teams across Vietnam?

The team looked for a societal problem that was the most prominent in their village. Observing the current agricultural situation of their hometown in Ben Tre province, they wished to support local farmers by enhancing productivity.

“Farmers often have to get into farming zones to eliminate pests by hands. Their working productivity would be much enhanced if such tasks are carried out by equipment utilizing solar energy for cost saving purpose.”

The students started developing equipment to solve the pest problem. Whilst the initial idea faced many challenges, by applying the knowledge and skills learned through the online training of Solve for Tomorrow, the team designed an 'equipment for trapping pests in organic vegetable fields using solar energy.’ In addition to the energy independence enabled by solar power, the team also integrated IoT to ensure the device operates seamlessly even when far away.

“I have learned a lot from the competition: teamwork, critical thinking and design thinking, all of which are not easily learned unless you immerse yourself into a specific problem and look for solutions to resolve it,” says Tuong Vy.

“In addition to the technical assets, we learned that empathy and understanding the needs of the end-users are as important as the development of a solution,” adds Tuyet Nhi. “Interviews with local farmers provided us with the insights we needed and the guidance on where we should put our focus on.”

The students also say that offline workshops where they met and connected with other participants were special as they could discuss topics of their interest with their peers. Through Solve for Tomorrow, Le Hang, Tuong Vy, and Tuyet Nhi cultivated their knowledge and sharpened essential skills so they could better shape their future. The success of the trio will resonate among the youth of Vietnam and inspire others to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.