What is YOTA?
YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) is young radio amateurs under the age of 26 from all over IARU Region 1 (Africa and Europe) national amateur radio societies with a passion for amateur radio and technology. The objective of this event is to draw together young licensed radio amateurs including newcomers to learn new skills, discuss and share ideas about amateur radio and its future.
This annual event brings together young people from various IARU R1 member societies in Africa and Europe for an entire week. This week creates, in addition to amateur radio, the opportunity to learn all about different nationalities and cultures, foster international friendships and goodwill as well as learning new communication and technical skills.
See the official YOTA website for more info www.ham-yota.com
Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio is a service that brings people, electronics and communication enthusiasts together. Radio amateurs communicate with one another locally, around the world and into space, all without the use of the Internet or cell phones.
Amateur radio offers a wide scope of activities and defines the use of radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, electronics, radio wave propagation research, radio sport, contesting, and emergency communication.
Amateur Radio and the Youth
The education of our youth is the foundation of preparation to ensure that the necessary interest is created amongst our young people in the fields of science and engineering as a career choice and for amateur radio as a hobby to continue to exist into the future.
Amateur radio has an excellent record of introducing young people to technical careers in science, technology and mathematics by presenting the technology and its applications in a practical, useful and interesting way.
The large number of professionals in industry who started with amateur radio before they entered a career in communication and electronics and now hold top level position attest to this.
More about the SARL
The SARL is the international recognised national body for amateur radio in South Africa with its main objective to encourage, develop and promote all activities associated with Amateur Radio, wireless communications, computer science and radio science in general.
The role of the SARL is to protect amateur radio frequency allocations, interact with government departments such as ICASA and to promote international goodwill and understanding.
HAMNET, a division of the SARL specialises in providing emergency communications in times of disaster by means of amateur radio.
For more info on the SARL see www.sarl.org.za
