Kelebogile Abrahams, Selina Molaiwa (teacher) and Mahlohonolo Mosia. Picture: Supplied
THE TWO 14-year-old girls who won the national South African Junior Water Prize Competition actually volunteered to participate, and never once looked back and gave it their all.
The two, Kelebogile Abrahams and Mahlohonolo Mosia, are from Emang Mmogo Comprehensive School in Galeshewe,
The competition was held by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in March this year.
The learners approached their Natural Science teacher, Selina Molaiwa, on short notice to allow them the opportunity, after she had excluded them from the team during the selection.
The confident pair, who were the youngest in the competition, will now jet off to participate in the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition at the Stockholm International Institute (SIWI) later this month.
That is after they made a remarkable impression with their water awareness pitch, focussing on how to save water. They participated in the water wastage category and chose the topic “Every Drop Counts”.
Molaiwa called the pair “go-getters, who had the adjudicators eating out of the palm of their hands with their sense of confidence”.
She added that she was be amazed by the dedication displayed by the two since she allowed them to participate in the competition.
She explained that the girls were somehow overlooked due to time constraints after the school was approached by the department to participate in the competition.
They approached her out of curiosity and volunteered to participate.
“I gave them the opportunity, increasing my team to six learners. I remember that they prepared although they had to pitch when there was hardly any time left,” Molaiwa said.
She said she was amazed when she got feedback that the “two small girls” qualified for the next round (nationals).
“During their pitch at the nationals, they left the judges running out of questions because they covered every detail of their pitch.”
The two girls said how important and appreciated they feel since their return.
“We felt like celebrities when we returned to school after the competition. There were pictures of us posted on the walls. Everyone wants to see what we are doing, how we do it and is offering to help,” Abrahams said.
“We are all on a water-saving mission.”
Mosia said she was convinced by her friend to approach their teacher to be part of the selection.
“We complement each other and try to remain focused. We both vowed to give it our best and this is how far we have come,” she said.
The school’s principal, Thozamile Myo, said that the two have made the entire Province proud by flying the school’s flag internationally.
He said the win was a motivation to others, who are all willing to become part of the project.