When 16-year-old Uatshila Munenyiwa realised the negative impact water shortages had on her school, she decided to take matters into her own little hands.
The Grade 7 pupil from Thengwe Secondary School in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, started a programme to power her school by using renewable energy.
Thengwe is one of hundreds of schools in the country that are still experiencing water and sanitation issues.
“I found that there is a sanitation problem at our school, which is water shedding due to loadshedding. I found a way to power the entire sanitation system using only renewable energy so that it is solely dependent on renewable energy 24/7,”she said.
The innovative learner, who won the provincial leg of the South African Youth Water Prize 2023 in May, said she also used different water sources to ensure that there was reliable water supply for the school’s sanitation system.
“I used river water, rain water and borehole water, together with the water from the municipality, because I wanted to decompress the pressure that the municipality has. My question is, what if we harness all the water sources that are there so that we can ensure that people have reliable water supply? After all, sanitation is dignity,”said Munenyiwa, who also uses various chemicals to clean school toilets and eliminate foul smells.
Munenyiwa’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. She was honoured by Minister of Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande at the launch of the National Science Week held at the University of Venda.
“Uatshila Munenyiwa is exemplary because she has what it takes to produce and supply raw materials. She earlier presented a project that won her the South African Youth Water Prize 2023 at the provincial level.
“I plead with all our principals and teachers to improve efforts in making sure that more learners in your schools take part in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation olympiads,”he said.
National Science Week is an annual programme that recognises advancements in science, technology and innovation.
This year, the programme runs between July 31 and August 5, under the theme “Building a culture of evidence-based practice.”
Nzimande also encouraged pupils to be motivated enough to also play their part in science competitions. “I want to make a call to all our learners that no one should be left out of the solution-driven national discourse that speaks to the value of science in our lives and for our future. Today, we have seen the level of interaction between scientists and the public at the exhibition centre.
“As a department, we are also committed to building the science and technology pipeline and broadening representativeness in science and technology, making sure that young people, women and people with disabilities are mainstreamed in science-related careers and education at all levels,” said Nzimande.
According to the minister, grants would be made available to various organisations who are willing to carry out activities aimed at making science popular across the country.
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