Google has announced the 15 finalist for this year’s Google Science Fair, the premier online global science competition for students.
Sakhiwe Shongwe and Bonkhe Mahlalela,Two teenagers from Swaziland, made the cut into the top 15 worldwide with their Unique Simplified Hydroponics Method (USHM), an agricultural initiative to grow food using organic waste.
The 15 finalist will now travel to Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, in July this year for the finals where they will present their projects to a jury to compete for prizes that include $100,000 in scholarship funds, a trip to the Galapagos Islands and more, Google confirmed.
“The winners will be announced at our celebration gala beginning at 7:00 p.m. PDT July 23 and the event will be streamed live on our YouTube channel,” Google said.
More good news for the duo came in after they secured the top place in the Scientific American award.
Science in Action prize is given to a project that addresses a social, environmental, ethical, health or welfare issue to make a practical difference to the lives of a group or community.
The Swazi duo will now pocket US$50,000 in prize funds.
Sakhiwe and Bonkhe will also have access to a year’s mentorship to explore how their project can help the lives of subsistence farmers in Swaziland and around the world. They are still running for their age category prize and the grand prize.
