Author: CHRISTINA MSEJA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TWO girl students from Mwanza-based Nganza Girls Secondary School have emerged overall winners of Young Scientists Tanzania (YST), Science 4Development 2020 award after designing and analyzing hydroponic fodder as the best solution for animal feed and health.
The ceremony was organized in Mwanza by the Young Scientist Tanzania (YST) recently is an annual exhibition that seeks to showcase skills and science innovation from Secondary students.
The Form Five girls, Glory Kiroche Joseph and Martha Samwel Machumu have been awarded a trophy, 1.35m/- while Karimjee Jivanje Foundation offered them scholarships for studying science courses in the university.
The second winners were Kisimiri Secondary School students from Arusha region who are Sarah Sweetbertus Kasala and Jesca Bariki Mbise awarded 900,00/-. They have won for preservation of fruits and vegetables using Lemon Grass.
The YST Board Chairman Dr Yunus Mgaya said the YST is a grass-root driven science for development movement.
He said the aim was to provide opportunity to local young scientists to innovate on relevant issues for our social-economic development.
“The project tends to equip students to engage in doing various scientific research and innovate various technologies thus help the country to boost its technology through local young scientists and encourage other secondary schools to participate at national and local level to show their innovation,” he said.
According to the one of the winner, Martha Machumu said Hydroponic fodder is the animal fodder grown and produced within six to seven days by growing cereal grains or barley such as wheat or maize seeds in water or aqueous solution without soil by using hydroponic nutrients obtained from Azolla seedlings or cow dungs.
Globally, hydroponic fodder is considered to be the best vertical animal or livestock feed compared to traditional fodder since it promotes high rate of animal growth, health and weight gain.
The girls’ are seeking to improve milk quality and production in female animals, reduce weaning time of cattle from birth and can promote human economic gain by selling it.
Moreover, their project emphasized the hydroponic fodder promotes faster growth and high weight gain of fish and other livestock to ensure high market and economic gain to the farmers.
On his part, KJF’s Chairperson Mr Yusuph Karimjee said they have been supporting the exhibition since its establishment in 2012. They stressed to continue supporting YST by providing University Scholarship to the winners.
YST Co-founder, Dr Gozibert Kamugisha thanks the Government of Tanzania and all the Sponsors who have supported and partnered with YST.
“We hope the sponsorship will continue in the future as YST is transforming Tanzania using Science and Technology,’’ he said.
He added that YST focuses on promoting young Tanzanians by providing a platform for young students from across all schools in the country to demonstrate their innovation and showcase their scientific talents.
YST’s Category Awards in Technology and Computer Sciences was won by Benbella secondary school in Unguja for design and Implementation of a smart voting system.
Agriculture sciences award was won by Kibiti Boys High school in Coast region for Hydroponic Organic while Biological Sciences award was won by Panda Hill Secondary School in Mbeya region for project titled The Damaging Effects of Carrying Heavy Bags.
