By Neelam Rahim

Al Falaah College is proud to congratulate Maryam Bassa (Gr12), who scooped gold at the KZN Eskom Expo for Young Scientists held this week.

Maryam impressed the judges with the presentation of her Aero-electricity project – “A final thrust towards a wind-powered world.”

She has been awarded a gold medal, certificate, and a prize from ARHI (Africa Health Research Institute) for her project being rated “Best in the Category.”

She designed and coded a turbine system conducive for runway use to generate electricity from the jet blasts of passing planes. An innovative project could help our current electricity situation in South Africa.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Maryam said Jet blasts are high-pressure winds emitted from the tail end of the plane’s engine during take-off and landing. The jet blasts cause the turbine blades to spin, which spins the dc motor, generating electricity. This electricity can be fed into the airport’s power grid and, in turn, reduce the strain on Eskom in the hope of solving the load shedding crisis we are currently experiencing.

She says to determine the effectiveness of her design, and in-depth research was conducted into the structure of runways, the functioning of the plane engines and different types of turbines currently available on the market.

Maryam also extends her gratitude to her school’s coding teacher, parents and expo mentors.

Meanwhile, Husnaa Haffejee, presently in matric, has excelled over the years, obtaining numerous academic awards. Her latest achievement, though, must rank as her best thus far. Husnaa has been declared the best performing learner in Kwazulu Natal and placed third nationally for the Senior Afrikaans Olympiad in May this year, a first for an Al Falaah College learner.

The Olympiad was hosted by the ATKV, which awarded Husnaa a certificate and a cash prize for her exemplary achievement. The Al Falaah College family applauds this humble young lady and prays that she continues to work hard. 

In discussion with Radio, Islam Husna said growing up in the UK and moving back to SA when she was nine years old, her first exposure to Afrikaans was in grade five. She says it was a challenge for her to learn Afrikaans from scratch even though, by nature, she has an interest in languages.

“Rather than seeing Afrikaans as some sort of burden I took it as an opportunity for self-improvement. I paid attention in class and studied, which became easier overtime.”

Listen to the full interview on Radio Islam’s podcast below.