Empowering South African Youth Through Education

Some are studying plants. Some are conducting experiments in chemistry and microbiology, with guidance and lab space provided by our local university. Others are conducting social science research on topics as varied as taste preferences in french fries and the impact of social media on friendships. Thanks to the generous support of our GlobalGiving donors, this year’s group of aspiring young scientists in The Umkhumbane Schools Project’s mentoring program for the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is off and running!  

One of the most beneficial aspects of this program each year are the friendships and camaraderie that develop among our Expo learners. Teamwork and mutual support always seem to spring up spontaneously…and this year is no exception.

Pamela, the Grade 11 learner pictured above among the tall grasses, is conducting an experiment on the amazing capacity of vetiver grass to absorb contaminants and improve water quality. When the time came to collect her water samples from three sites of the Umkhumbane River, Pamela knew she could use the help of another set of strong arms. So Lusanda, who is busy with his own experiment on chemical toxins in unregulated cosmetic products, volunteered to come along and help. The water collection process went on past dark, as Pamela and Lusanda together hauled 120 liters of water from the river. This was a day to remember!

Learners in township and informal settlement areas in South Africa still lack access to solid educational opportunities, and science and mathematics remain areas of particularly vexing failure and exclusion. The USP’s Expo mentoring program is central to our mission of harnessing the power of education to transform lives, to provide a ladder out of poverty and into well-paying employment, and to build a more just and propserous future for us all. It is thanks to your generosity that we can bring these experiences to a team of bright and promising young people each year.

A short while before that long afternoon of collecting water samples from the river, a visitor was at the USP’s office as one of our Expo learners was nearby.   When I asked the learner to come say hello, he introduced himself to our visitor and then added, in a clear and confident voice, “…and I am a Young Scientist.”

That pretty much says it all.

Thank you so very much for making our work possible.   We will keep you posted on our learners’ progress at the Eskom Expo Regional Competition in August… and beyond!