At Ekuphumleni there is a strong emphasis on community and giving back – a principle that the students take to heart. In December former students came during the school holidays to tutor the current matrics and give them a head start into the year.
In January, just as the schools opened, another former student, Mpondwana Nzuzo, came to talk to various classes about the process of entering a project into a Science competition.
Mpondwana had entered a project centred on the medicinal benefits of an Artemesia afra ginger tea at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. He won a silver medal for his project and was selected as part of 35 South African students to compete at international level.
He shared these experiences with Ekuphumleni’s current students, giving them tips on how to structure their projects and encouraging them to think of interesting ways to solve everyday problems.
Mpondwana is now in his second year of studying Science at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, setting an example for students of where a simple Science project can take them.