Science Fair

I am officially back in Mozambique after two wonderful, but way too fast, weeks back in California for my sister’s wedding.  I ate everything from Del Taco, Panda Express and In N Out to California Pizza Kitchen, Chipotle, and Don Jose.  I enjoyed the luxuries of running water, a toilet seat, floors you can walk around barefoot on, and dependable electricity.  I was awed by the sheer amount of cars on the freeway, so many paved roads (without trash littered around), movie theaters, restaurants where they actually serve everything on the menu, and the lack of 30 people crammed into a small car.  It was absolutely amazing to be home and see my family and friends.

After over 65 total hours of traveling there and back, it was again time to get back to the reality of life in Africa.  I made it back just in time for the first week of provincial exams (the ones where the government writes the tests).  I helped proctor two tests this week, and will do one next week, other than that, just have to grade about 100 biology assignments about classifying plants in the area as well as 150 computer students notebooks. 

More exciting though, this Saturday was my local Science Fair.  I can’t remember if I already explained about the science fair, but if not, I’ll give a brief explanation here.

In conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology in Mozambique, Peace Corps organizes a National Science Fair for secondary school students.  First, individual districts hold a local science fair (for example, my local fair in Murrupula).  After, two winners from 11^th-12^th grade and two winners from 8^th-10^th grade go to a Provincial Fair (ours is in Nampula).  There students from districts or schools around the province compete for a chance to go to the National Fair where winners can receive prizes like a lap top or digital camera.

Though I started out with almost 30 interested students at my first information meeting, we had 4 students actually present projects during our local fair to an audience of 11 students who came to watch, 4 professors, a panel of 4 jury members and me. 

The students were instructed to create an experiment, demonstration, or invention, create a poster presentation, and prepare a presentation.  All the students did a great job!  A panel of 4 professors gave points to each student for visual presentation, oral presentation, use of the scientific method, knowledge of the scientific concept and importance of the project in life. 

Our fourth place winner, presented about water filtration and demonstrated how one can use toilet paper to filter out particulates in dirty water.  Our third place winner presented his project about the density of objects.  He demonstrated how an egg floats in salt water and sinks in plain water.  The second place student did a project analyzing the rate of fermentation of different kinds of fruits (papaya, lemon, orange, and tangerine).  He found that the papaya fermented the fastest and therefore must have the most sugar.  And our first place winner used electrolysis to create an insecticide.  He used a battery attached to two wires to create a current in salt water with iron nails.  Using a sweet potato root (I’m not totally sure why), he created a liquid that can be used to kill bugs, or even rats.  He even brought in a bug to demonstrate how his liquid will kill the insect on contact.  Though I didn’t totally understand his procedures, he definitely created an interesting project.

Because all the students were in 11^th-12^th grade, only two will go to Nampula for the Provincial Fair in August.  I had brought back some books from the US for prizes, including an English/Portuguese dictionary with pictures (1^st place chose that), a book full of questions and answers about everything from science to animals to space (2^nd place’s choice), and a pop-up book about the human body.  4^th place received a daily planner that I hadn’t used because I didn’t want him to feel left out.  I also gave each student a blue, black, and red pen as prizes and will print out certificates for them. 

Though smaller than I had originally hoped for, the fair was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to next year and hopefully having more students participate.  Only four participated, but it was great seeing them do something on their own and then present their work, something these kids don’t get the opportunity to do that often.  Perhaps I had hoped for more students, but I have learned to rationalize my work here as me giving students and people an opportunity and it’s up to them if they want to or choose to take it. 

The four participants: Juma (11th), Jaimito (12th), Hermenegildo (12th), Aires (11th)

Participants and the Professors who helped organize and judge