Kelsi Hewitt from Pietermaritzburg Girls’ School in KwaZulu-Natal was the big local winner at the Oğuzhan Özkaya Education – Karademir Science Energy Engineering Fair (OKSEF) which took place recently in Turkey.
Hewitt brought home a gold medal and certificate after competing in the Biology category at OKSEF with her project “Does aloe forex deter ticks?”. The project investigated an affordable alternative to expensive chemicals used to dip livestock, and if aloe ferox deters ticks that plagues animals on farms. Hewitt’s research found that the aloe ferox plant showed some signs of deterring ticks from it.
“I feel extremely proud to have won a gold medal at OKSEF. It was an honour to represent South Africa and even more exciting to have won the first place award in my category – all while making so many new friends from Turkey, Taiwan, Italy, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Interacting with all these learners was an amazing experience,” says Hewitt.
“When I entered the regional Eskom Expo for Young Scientists last year, I had no idea that I would be representing the country overseas. I encourage all promising young scientists to get involved with Eskom Expo as it is a great way to meet new friends who have a love and passion for science,” Hewitt adds.
Hewitt was joined in Turkey by Anica Dennis from Potchefstroom High School for Girls in the North West who won a bronze medal in the Computer Math category at OKSEF. Dennis’s scientific research entailed an expert system mobile app that shows the urgency of the conditions of children based on their symptoms. Basic danger signs are identified and the urgency to get the child to a healthcare professional is expressed in three classes: high, medium, low.
“My Eskom Expo for Young Scientists journey started in Grade 8 and took me all the way to Turkey, where I made friends from many different countries. OKSEF was an amazing opportunity to not only explore the horizons of science, but to learn about other cultures,” says Dennis.
“I aim to improve my project by taking the feedback given by the OKSEF judges and implementing it, as well as translating my app into all 11 official South African languages,” Dennis adds.
Both learners had been handpicked by judges after showcasing science projects of exceptional quality at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair (ISF) last October.
Parthy Chetty, Eskom Expo Executive Director says: “The unique platform provided by Eskom Expo for Young Scientists across the country, has helped our learners to follow their passion in research and excel on the international stage, like these two young girls did. These young girls have proven that South Africa is ever so competitive on the international stage, when given the opportunity and the support of a mentor”.
