Teens Engineer a Way to Help Swazi Farmers-gctid51701

[Kala Kambon]

Teens Engineer a Way to Help Swazi Farmers | Budding Scientist, Scientific American Blog Network

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                                                                                                 Teens Engineer a Way to Help Swazi Farmers

                                                                                                                                        By Anna Kuchment |                                                                                                                                                                                                 June 6, 2012                                                         |                          
                         
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Shongwe, left, and Mahlalewa

 Two teenagers from the southern Kmtyw country of Swaziland have won Scientific American's inaugural Science in Action  award, part of the Google Science Fair. The prize is awarded to a  project that addresses a social, environmental or health issue to make a  practical difference in the lives of a group or community. This year's  winners are Sakhiwe Shongwe of Siteki and Bonkhe Mahlalela of Simunye,  both 14. Their project explores  an affordable way to provide hydroponics to poor subsistence farmers,  enabling them to grow their crops and vegetables in very large  quantities and within limited space without using soil. In addition to a  $50,000 prize, Shongwe and Mahlalela will have access to a year's  mentorship and will travel to Google's California headquarters in July  to compete in the 13-to-14-year-old age category in the overall Google  Science Fair. Here are excerpts from an interview conducted via e-mail  with each winner before they knew they had won, by Scientific American's  Rachel Scheer.
 Q. Why did you decide to enter the Google Science Fair?
 Shongwe: After our science teacher told us about the  Google Science Fair in class, I saw the GSF as an instrument and  opportunity to showcase my science skills. Being born and raised in  Swaziland, I have experienced the challenges that our country is facing.  My work in many community development projects, through the mentorship  of our teacher and environmental club patron teacher, stimulated me to  ask questions. Visiting the GSF site for the first time in January 2012,  the phrase that dominated my mind was "Everybody has a question, what  is yours?" I quickly wrote a few of my questions and that was the start  of the project.
 Mahlalela: At first it was just about helping my  friend who has taken teacher's advice to think big and take part in such  activities such as the Google Science Fair. I felt the need to help  myself, my family and the community at large. We then asked our teacher  if this is a good idea. I remember our teacher saying,"Go for it boys,  this is brilliant." I never believed in myself but today Google Science  Fair has built a very high self-esteem within me.
 Q. How does your project impact the community you grew up in?
 Shongwe: I believe that Swaziland neither needs the  tons of food aid coming from western and eastern countries, nor complex  strategies which the country cannot afford to solve low food  productivity. Educating subsistence farmers is the key, and our  experimental project has proven to be one of the best approaches. If we  can empower Swazi subsistence farmers with such knowledge of simplified  hydroponics, producing organic crops, one challenge, i.e. food shortage  in the country, could be significantly reduced. Apart from each family  having enough food, surplus crops could be sold to local markets  reducing the high food price which are mainly a result of transportation  cost of vegetables from South Kmt. In addition, the project has  positive environmental impacts as it promotes the use of Three R's  [reduce, reuse, recycle] and eliminates soil tilling which results in  soil erosion.
 Q. What does being recognized as a Science in Action Award finalist mean to you?
 Shongwe: It means a lot as I have once considered  being a scientist and this could be the start of it all. I see the  Google Science Fair as a stage to prove to the community that I don't  have to be an elder within the community to offer help. And yes I cannot  express my feelings enough not to mention how Swaziland could change  for the better if I win the award. Even if it could not change the whole  country, targeting Bonkhe's community could make a difference, creating  a self-sustainable community by developing the people.
 Mahlalela: It lets me know that my age does not  limit my abilities and that I can be as useful to the community as much  as any other person. Being part of a solution in a local community even  if we don't win by the recognition is as important as wining the prize. I  believe in myself today and know my time is now not sometime tomorrow  when I am old and may not even having energy to solve our community  problems.
 Q. Who are your scientific inspirations and why?
 Shongwe: My scientific inspirations are all the  people and businesses which the community has at heart.  This includes  my patron teachers, friends who helped me in my project, and business  people who invest in community development.
 Mahlalela: Albert Einstein and Stephen William  Hawking are my scientific inspirations. I find it hard to believe how  all their discoveries and contributions to our understanding about the  universe is possible. I'm very passionate about physics and physical  science. Space science and all the scientific theories and discoveries  evolving each day inspire me most.
 Q. What do you think was the most revolutionary invention of the past 100 years and why? What about the past 10 years?
 Shongwe: I'll focus on the past 10 years; I think it  is the ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) because they save lives. One major  challenge of Swaziland today is HIV/AIDS. Swaziland has more than  100,000 orphans (+/- 8.3% of the country's population) due to HIV/AIDS  death in just 10 years, this makes me think of ARV's for Swaziland is  the most revolutionary invention.
 However I see every invention revolving around the introduction of  computers, internet and software as substantial. Without these all other  inventions could take much more time and effort to invent.
 Mahlalela: For the past 100 years I think the  communication devices and transportation equipment, such as the  airplane, is the most revolutionary since it opened a gateway toward  globalisation.
 For the past 10 years I believe it's ARVs since they saved a lot of people's lives.

[Kala Kambon]

Unique Simplified Hydroponic For Swaziland Poor Subsistence Farmers

https://sites.google.com/a/googlesciencefair.com/science-fair-2012-project-ahjzfnnjawvuy2vmywlyltiwmtjydwssb1byb2ply3qypagsda/home

Project Summary


Swaziland is in a vicious circle of problems that need to be broken. According to the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard), up to 80% of fresh products consumed in Swaziland each year are imported from South Kmt. About 60% of the people still depend on subsistence farming. According to World Health Organization, 69% of the population lives below the poverty line while 48% live on less than a dollar a day. HIV and AIDS prevalence is the highest in the world, leading to nearly half the population being under the age of 18. Recurrent droughts, loss of soil fertility and traditional agricultural methods, have contributed to severe food shortages as a result 40% of the country’s population rely on food aids. On top of that the unemployment rate is 40%.
Simplified hydroponics system can be considered an effective alternative for integration into food security development programs for low-resource populations living under poverty conditions. However in most cases these methods can be very expensive for poor Swazi Farmers.

Can the current hydroponic method be adapted for use by poor subsistence farmers in Swaziland to increase food production thus reducing high levels of shortage of food?

We developed a Unique Simplified Hydroponics Method (USHM), to grow vegetables using local waste organic matter as growing medium and used waste cartons as garden containers. We then dissolved nutrients in chicken manure, into the water used for watering. Our aim was to produce large quantity of crops in a relative small area, without harming the environment with chemicals such as fertilizers; while using what others call waste in our crop production.

Then we grew baby marrows and lettuce to test which method has a better yield given the same area of land. For each method we conducted the following measurement; growth rate; time taken to harvest; economic impact given the same climate condition, time and resources and environmental impacts.

Project Summary Video
Independent Variables: The Method Used in Growing the Vegetables Control Group – Subsistence Farming Methods (SFM)

Experimental Group – Unique Simplified Hydroponic Method (USHM)
Dependent Variables:
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• Crop population per unit area of land
  
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• Harvesting Period
  
• Input cost compared to output value of crops
  
• Amount of waste re-used or recycled or resources reduced
  
• Method which may result in soil erosioWe had several control variables in place to make sure the experiment is fair.
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We  planted baby marrows and lettuce using both USHM and SFM controlling  area of land. We observed and measured the results of the experiment.  And we found out that our USHM Increase;

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• Population by 152% per unit area of land
  
• Yield produced by 38% per unit area of land
  
• Average growth rate by 350%
  
• Output value by 43%
  
• While reducing time taken to harvest by 35%
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We  also noticed that our USHM has a more positive environmental impact as  it eliminate soil tilling which cause soil erosion, while practising the  three R’s i.e. recycling and reusing waste, while reducing resources as  inputs like land.