After three years of participation in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, Samiya Waza, 17, took second place in China’s Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition.
Mthatha High School pupil Samiya came second for her research project titled “Med-Net: A Comprehensive and Robust Information Management System for Healthcare” in March.
The project aims to address inefficiencies in public hospitals by solving the issue of overcrowding, resource mismanagement, prescription forgery and lack of access to healthcare services.
“The project consists of two AI-based portals, one for healthcare service providers to use in the healthcare environment, which addresses the issues there.
“And one for the patients, which is a virtual consultation platform, encompassing direct consultation with a specialist or the use of a medically trained AI chatbot,” she said.
Samiya started her journey with the Eskom Expo in grade 10.
“I started off in grade 10, during which I was selected to participate in the Eskom Expo International Science Fair, which was held in Johannesburg.
“At the competition, I was awarded a highly commended certificate, which was a bit upsetting; however, I took the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and participated in the competition again during grade 11.
“This year was nothing short of joy and celebrations.
“At my regional science fair I was awarded a gold medal, a prize for the best female project, a R5,000 voucher for the best computer science project, and a bursary from Rhodes University for the top young scientist.
“I was once again selected to represent the province at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair, and I was awarded a gold medal along with a cash prize,” Samiya said.
She was then nominated to represent the country at an international science fair after multiple rounds of judgment and interviews.
She finally got selected to represent SA in China at the 44th Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition.
Samiya said she had an unforgettable experience in China, and it felt surreal not only representing the school but the entire country.
“I really enjoyed my time there, interacting with like-minded individuals from around the globe and visiting the heritage sites in China was great fun.
“Being judged by specialists from industries was really interesting as they showed great understanding of the project and provided a lot of positive feedback along with constructive criticism,” she said.
For her to make it to an international stage had caused several sleepless nights.
“Preparing for the competition required a lot of effort, as I had to balance my academics as well as other extra-curricular activities while working on my project.
“There were times when giving up seemed like the best option, but with motivation from my parents and teachers, I pushed myself to keep going,” Samiya said.
She plans to study medicine and specialise in cardiology.
Samiya said she was grateful to her parents for their endless support along with Luleka Xana, her life sciences teacher and Mthatha High Eskom Expo co-ordinator, who was there for her at every step of her journey.
Xana said it was a big achievement for the school as it was the first time they’d had a pupil representing them in China.
“It is a huge achievement for the Mthatha community, for the province and SA at large,” Xana said.
“The school is now on the map, recognised for its achievements in this type of competition, and it has given us a reward for the work we put into this project.”
She said the competition gave pupils an opportunity to learn about scientific research in the early stages of their lives.
“We are proud of Samiya, we thank God for the achievement. We did not expect it but hard work paid off with commitment by the school, teachers and learners.”
Daily Dispatch
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