After being laughed at and reviled for coming from a disadvantaged school and community, three matric pupils of Kayamandi High School proved their naysayers wrong, when they walked away as winners of the Aqua Enduro competition.
The competition, hosted annually by the Department of Water and Sanitation, was held in Pretoria over the school holidays from Monday 28 March until Saturday 2 April.
The competition aims to address the skills shortage in the water sector by empowering the youth and identifying future water engineers and scientists.
“I was so happy when they announced that our group, Western Cape, won,” said Esethu Ketelo, one of the pupils. “It was really encouraging to see that my passion for improving the quality of our water can become a reality.
“This project motivated me to stay positive, work hard and continue with my mission to improve the water as we all know how scarce water is in some parts of the country.”
Fellow group member Olwethu Pakisi couldn’t contain her euphoria.
“I’ve always wanted to help others and, as water is one of our basic needs, I know I can make a huge difference in so many lives,” she pointed out.
Marilynn Solomons, Life Sciences teacher at Kayamandi High, is proud of her learners. “As their teacher and speaking on behalf of the school, we are really proud of them. Now they not only get to live out their passion but also get the opportunity to focus on a career in the field of science,” she said.
In all, the six learners of the Western Cape winning group were from Kayamandi, Kwamfundo Secondary in Khayelitsha (two learners) and George High School (one).
Each learner in the winning team also received a bursary from Water and Sanitation to follow a career in this field.
