Two city pupils to fly SA flag at Stockholm Junior Water Prize

TWO GALESHEWE learners, Kelebogile Abrahams and Mahlohonolo Mosia, will be flying the Northern Cape flag high when they represent South Africa at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Sweden in August.

This is after the two Emang Mmogo Comprehensice School learners scooped first prize in the annual national South African Youth Water Prize competition hosted by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Boksburg in May.

The runner-up position went to Gauteng Province while the Western Cape Province clinched third place.

The programme exposes and advances the interest of youth in science and technology and motivates them to pursue water and sanitation careers.

It targets Grade 9 to 11 learners, who identify problems related to water in their school and community. They conduct research and come up with innovative recommendations to solve the problems.

It further aims to encourage learners to protect water resources and to use water efficiently.

Schools from all nine provinces competed in the SA Youth Water Prize following their wins in the provincial competitions.

The nationals in Boksburg were graced by the presence of the department’s Gauteng provincial head, Justice Maluleke, the deputy director-general of Water Services, Risimati Mathye, and representatives from the Gauteng Department of Education, Lepelle Water and Umgeni Water.

During his address, Mathye emphasised that the programme ensured that a legacy was left behind and that the future was in the hands of the youth.

“We say young people are the future, and this competition is proof of that. We won’t be around forever and we need to leave a legacy and institutional memories to the young ones,” said Mathye.

“Even if you don’t win today, just by being here you have already won, each pupil here has received a bursary from the department to study further and that is already a win, so take this opportunity and run with it.”

All the learners who participated in the nationals will be awarded full bursaries to pursue a career in the water sector after completing their matric.

They will furthermore be absorbed by the department as graduate trainees for a period of three years after they complete their tertiary studies.

“The process was exciting and heart-warming. Witnessing learners so absorbed and enthusiastic as they presented their projects to the adjudicators was gratifying. The innovative recommendations that they came up with was testimony enough that the future is in the hands of the youth.”