Budding young scientist!
2008-08-15
Jessica Luphondo, a learner at Kingfisher Private School, is going to the regional Science Expo on 22 to 23 August with high hopes, having clinched the first position in the District Science Expo held at the Foskor Community Centre in Namakgale on 1 to 2 August. She won a gold medal with the highest score out of all 161 participants from 22 schools in the greater Phalaborwa area.
Jessica spent months on her project, “Battle of the Beans”, in which she proved through experiments that the Red Oriental beans is the fastest growing bean, in terms of height and the rate at which it progresses through different developmental stages and also in the production of seeds.
Beans are the cheapest source of readily available protein and Jessica recommends that the Red Oriental beans should be cultivated on a large scale to ease the famine in Africa.
Jessica is a keen participant in the Palabora Mining Company/Palabora Foundation Programme for Technological Careers (PROTEC). She never misses her PROTEC afternoon lessons and acknowledged PROTEC’s role in sharpening her scientific curiosity, enabling her to excel at school.
The Internet is free for the PROTEC, Master Maths and Technokidz learners from 15h00 to 18h00 at the Foundation’s Education Centres in Lulekani and Namakgale. Jessica takes full advantage of the facility and surfs the net during PROTEC’s Internet sessions to satisfy her curiosity about scientific concepts and enhance her understanding.
Jessica is a great inspiration to the other PROTEC and Master Maths learners. She is dedicated, punctual, well disciplined and hard working. Palabora Mining Company and the Palabora Foundation wish her well in the next round of the Science Expo and look forward to seeing her recommendation implemented to the benefit of the country’s needy people.
Palabora Mining Company, Foskor Ltd and Sasol Nitro are the major partners of PROTEC in Phalaborwa. The other partners are Standard Bank, Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Lepelle Northern Water, GAGE Specialists, Professional Career Consultants, Mopani South-East FET College, Phalaborwa Chamber of Business, Eskom and the Department of Education. Those who would like to sponsor PROTEC can contact Mr CK Joseph, who is head of the PROTEC, Master Maths and Technokidz programmes at the Palabora Foundation, on 015 783 0013 during office hours.
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