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Virtual becomes real at Eskom Expo

Virtual can be real, as South Africa’s promising young scientists can attest after being honoured at the 2020 Eskom Expo virtual awards ceremony on Tuesday night (15 Dec). The virtual event was live-streamed via the Eskom Expo YouTube channel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the mandatory cancellation of Eskom Expo’s premier events.

The Expo strives to inspire young scientists and researchers to explore innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, thus giving them opportunities to develop their passion while enhancing the depth of their knowledge, says Cecil Ramanotsi, CEO of the Eskom Development Foundation.

“We are responsible for Eskom’s drive to invest in communities across the country. Part of that drive is the Expo, as we know it is not possible to grow our economy without more scientists, innovators and engineers. This what the Expo helps to achieve,” he said.

It is the Expo’s fortieth anniversary, with Eskom as title sponsor for half of that period. The Expo national office and provincial staff coordinated various online activities throughout this year despite the pandemic while hundreds of judges from all walks of life dealt with the 500 projects submitted.

Of these 40 came from nine other countries who participated.

Eskom General Manager of Risk and Sustainability, Andrew Etzinger said: “Eskom commends all entrants, and the winners in particular, for persevering under trying circumstances to deliver exceptional entries for this year’s competition. Furthermore, we thank the organisers and volunteers for their tireless efforts to make the Expo a success once more”.

Etzinger and Ramanotsi spoke at the virtual Expo awards ceremony.

Top performing learners who submitted their research in the Eskom Expo online assessments, were awarded prizes in the form of bursaries and scholarships sponsored by the University of Pretoria and the Wits University to study toward degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), along with gadgets and substantial cash prizes.

Grand awards

The top senior scientist, winning a laptop, was Hritik Mitha, a grade 11 learner at Bryanston High School in Johannesburg, Gauteng for the project called “Non-invasive Blood Glucose Level Monitoring”. The project is aimed at mitigating the drawbacks of the invasive glucometer test, which led Mitha to develop prototypes that proved to be practical and effective in measuring glucose levels to a clinical standard. Mitha was also awarded a partial scholarship by Wits University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment for his project, and selected to attend a virtual innovation and entrepreneurship boot camp in 2021 with 18 other young scientists by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).

The top junior scientist, wining a laptop, was Thea-Mari Roos, a grade 9 learner at Hoërmeisieskool Bloemhof in Stellenbosch, Western Cape whose project was aimed at addressing the practical concepts of a digital calculator. Roos investigated how a number on a keyboard is translated on an electronic circuit, and developed a model that imitated the electronic calculations successfully.

Special awards

The Eskom Development Foundation awarded special prizes in the form of laptops to the Best Female, Best Development, Best Energy and Best Innovative projects.

Eskom Development Foundation – Best femaleFarida Cajee, a grade 12 learner from Schweizer-Reneke in the North West whose project, “Project Limbs” aims to be a more affordable prosthetic alternative. The project entails an electroencephalograph (EEG) headset that measures brainwaves paired with a prosthetic hand from recycled material which is able to move based on thoughts. Cajee was also awarded a partial bursary by the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, and was selected to be part of the TIA boot camp.

Eskom Development Foundation – Best development project

Thabo Maliea, a grade 12 learner from Setjhaba se Maketse Combined School in Bloemfontein, whose project “Sunprints in the sky” investigates the track that the sun makes in comparison with three specific stars, using a homemade observational apparatus instead of expensive equipment, for a period of five months.

Eskom Development Foundation – Best innovative project

Kohan Southgate and Pride Chigiji, grade 11 learners at Spine Road High School in Cape Town, Western Cape investigated what radio frequency waves are and how they work practically, with the project “Wakanda Radio Telescope”. The duo found that the sun emits very high radio waves, and they aim to investigate radio frequency waves from other astronomical bodies in the future. They were also selected to be part of the TIA boot camp in 2021.

Eskom Development Foundation – Best energy project

Zandré Marx, a grade 9 learner at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, Western Cape whose project “Electricity generated by soil” uses the ability of bacteria in soil to generate electricity through a microbial fuel cell. Following various experiments, Marx found most of the bio-available additives he used, resulted in an increased output when compared to the soil where nothing was added. Marx was also awarded the first prize special award for innovation in environmental engineering, a prize of R7000, by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Eskom Expo Executive Director, Parthy Chetty, said that as we conclude our low-key 40th anniversary celebrations with the 2020 virtual awards ceremony, we look back and realise what a strange and challenging year it has been, especially for our learners.

“However, lockdown did not deter these bright young scientists from pursuing their passion and completing their scientific research and engineering projects on time, under great challenges and showing us all that they can rise to the challenge. I congratulate all these bright young minds for their efforts, and feel assured that our future looks brighter with the calibre of these learners who will be our future leaders and innovators,” said Chetty.

For a full list of award winners, visit www.exposcience.co.za

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