After months of intensive research and experimentation, a talented trio of scientists from Masiphumelele High School recently scooped top honours at this year’s Cape Town Regional Science Fair. Hosted at the University of Cape Town (UCT), the annual innovation and research event operates under the nationwide Eskom Expo for Young Scientists programme.
Bringing together local learners from Grades 6 to 12, this platform celebrates future innovators to showcase their projects, win accolades and secure spots in national competitions.
Overcoming challenges
The achievement is particularly extraordinary given the deep structural challenges the learners face. Masi High School operates without a dedicated science laboratory.
Undeterred, the learners spent months working after school hours in the Ukhanyo lab.
In the end, the triumphant trio walked away with the fair’s coveted gold, bronze and highly recommended project awards.
Among the standout achievers was Grade 11 learner Levi Naweya, who secured a gold medal. Working individually, Naweya’s project investigated how wheel size directly affects vehicle movement speed.
He discovered his passion for electronics at just 10 years old after dismantling an electric toy car to discover its inner workings, he recalls.
For his project he constructed a functional model using ceiling board and four parallel-connected DC motors.
“Since I am interested in motor electronics I thought that making a project that involves a toy car will give me an opportunity to learn more and understand what I know about motor electronics. In the end it paid off and just by winning in the science fair it also increased my confidence,” he said.
Aspiring to study mechanical engineering, Naweya hopes to eventually revolutionise road transportation and the motorworld.
Meanwhile, the dynamic Grade 10 duo of Zimi Ruda and Angela Monaisa captured bronze medals for their collaborative project, Monaisa Angel, a highly efficient, low-cost water filtration system designed specifically for the community of Masiphumelele.
Besides his passion for science, Ruda says he loves to play soccer and I also likes to read his books.
Research
Motivated by a desire to solve a real-world local crisis, the team researched filtration methods using textbooks and online tutorials, planning a four-layer filter inside a recycled two-litre bottle.
Using gravel, coarse sand, fine sand and crushed wood charcoal, the partners spent two weeks of rigorous after-school testing to perfect their device.
“We tested with dirty water from a puddle. The first result was still cloudy, so we added more fine sand and an extra cloth layer. The second test was much clearer and had no smell. We did three tests – we checked clarity in a clear glass, checked the smell and used pH strips from our lab tutor. We also learned it can’t kill all germs, so we added boiling as a final step for safe drinking. It took us two weeks of after-school work to get it right,” Ruda said.
After fine-tuning the layers and measuring clarity and pH levels, their final system successfully produced clear, odourless water from a muddy puddle.
“Winning showed me that even small ideas from young people in our community can be recognised,” said Monaisa, an aspiring neurologist.
Her teammate Ruda, who dreams of becoming a chemical engineer, echoed the sentiment, expressing immense pride in their achievement.
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