A WORLD of endless opportunities awaits Ndzhaka Siweya from Limpopo who will travel to Asia on Monday, 8 May.
Ndzhaka, a matric pupil at Khanyisa Education Centre in Giyani, will present his science project against other young scientists from around the world.
The 17-year-old will participate in the International Science Technology and Engineering Competition (ISTEC) in Indonesia.
Ndzhaka's project is all about non-renewable energy project.
His project aims to generate electricity through human motion by taking advantage of piezoelectricity, which is the polarisation of electricity in a substance created by the application of material stress.
In simple terms it means using certain materials to generate electricity just by applying pressure on them.
"I have noticed our electricity infrastructure in South Africa is deteriorating and the number of scheduled and unscheduled power outages is increasing, without any innovative solutions being put in place. Solar power is very expensive for South African households, hydropower has a negative impact on the environment, and human energy has inability to provide energy at all times. So, I had to ask myself how to generate energy while going about your daily activities. That brought me back to human activity, which is walking," he said.
Before this international opportunity came through, Ndzhaka said it all started when he was first introduced to the Eskom Expo by his school. Little did he know that this would later open up a whole new world of science for him to fall in love with.
"In grade 8, which was 2020, I was selected for the Reginal Expo, where I won a silver medal, which made me very happy. But when Covid-19 hit, I could not really present my project until 2022. That was when we went back to school. That's how I came up with the piezoelectricity project." Ndzhaka said.
Khanyisa Education Centre, principal Hein Weber, said Ndzhaka's dedication and progress in the international arena is inspiring and mind-blowing.
"He brings great credit to the school, he always has been. Every year he has taken on board the advice which improved his project over the years. Now the result of years of dedication to science, and I am extremely proud of him," Hein said.
Hein said this will inspire other pupils at the school to make their dreams come true.
