Much has been made of the impact that the pandemic has had on the local education landscape, with learners and educators alike struggling to cope with current conditions.
While that fact cannot be overlooked, here is a bit of welcome news regarding a local Grade 8 learner, who recently won a gold medal at the International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology (I-FEST2) in Tunisia.
The winner, pictured above and below, is Mia Delport, an Oranje Girls High School learner who won for her good hygiene project. Delport took part in the Festival virtually, showcased her design for a self-sanitising door mechanism.
“Winning a gold medal amongst some very talented young scientists from all over the world, made me feel extremely proud to be South African. It proved to me that hard work and innovative ideas will indeed be acknowledged and rewarded if you persevere,” a humble Delport noted.
“It was quite daunting taking part in the fair virtually due to the huge number of entries, and I had to ensure that my project is represented in a well-structured format. The online interaction with the organisers and judges was also at times a bit challenging, but we managed to get the project presented. Their feedback was always positive and encouraging,” she added.
She goes on to note that the design of her project involved a low-cost dispensing mechanism that activates a hand sanitiser while connected to a door lock so that the door can only be opened after a person’s hands have been sanitised.
This would ensure that the majority of people sanitise their hands after using a public toilet, which as we know is highly important in this current age.
Delport’s project was able to be presented at I-FEST2 as a result of this year’s Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, which aims to highlight the innovative ideas and achievements of learners across the country.
“Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is one of Eskom’s corporate social investment initiatives which provide learners with opportunities to enhance their abilities to think creatively about sustainable solutions for current and future challenges faced by local communities in South Africa and the global community,” pointed out Nthato Minyuku, Eskom Group executive for Government and Regulatory Affairs.
“Mia is one of such learners who has grabbed the opportunity of enhancing her creative and innovative thinking skills for sustainable solutions. These sustainable solutions can produce positive environmental change in South Africa and globally as such learners enter the workforce with creative and innovative skills,” she concluded.
Delport is not the only Eskom Expo participant showcasing a project this year, with two more learners selected to represent the country in the BUCA International Music, Science, Engineering Energy Fair (IMSEF) in Turkey from 15th to 19th November.
Here’s wishing them the best of luck later this month.
