Two KwaZulu-Natal learners to fly South African flag in Sweden
The learners from the Star College High in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, were announced as the winners of the 20th National South African Youth Water Prize Competition (SAYWP) following their impressive innovation that went to the core of modernising water resource management efforts in the country.
The competition, which took place at the Kopanong Hotel in Benoni from 16 – 17 May 2019, saw learners from all over the country fighting it out to impress adjudicators on innovations relating to water and sanitation.
The SAYWP is a Science and Technology based project and is coordinated by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The project started from provinces and progressed to the national competition where the winners were crowned.
One of the aims of the project is to promote the protection of natural resources and to encourage the youth to actively participate in integrated and community based water resource management.
The Star College High learners - Kiara Chetty and Calden Gounden - will represent the South Africa in Stockholm, Sweden; at the Annual Stockholm Junior Youth Water Prize (SJWP) at the end of August.
Their project, the Hydro-Conservation, intends to reduce the quantity of water that is wasted in households across South Africa daily during showering and handwashing process.
In Stockholm, the winners will showcase their innovation which will compete with those of other learners from 30 other countries around the world.
DWS’ Chief Director for Water Services and Local Water Management, Mr Rex Mtileni, said the competition was a means of investing in young people so that they pursued careers in the water and sanitation sector.
“To date there are about 342 schools that that have participated in the competition. As a result of this, we now have 42 graduates who are now contributing to develop our country and 29 other young people are in tertiary across the country where they are pursuing carriers in the water and sanitation sector,” said Mr Mtileni.
The other results are as follows:
Position 2: - ZM Seatlholo Secondary School - North West
Position 3: Protea Glen Secondary School - Gauteng Province
Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
Hosia Sithole
Cell: 082 723 2442
