Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

20 February 2025

3 minute read

In 2020, Farida Cajee from the small town of Schweizer-Reneke made headlines when she won second place at the Taiwan International Science Fair for her invention of the prosthetic robotic arm, created from recycled materials.

Back in 2018, Farida, who always had an interest in engineering, bio-chemics, and the effects of warfare and the part we play in it, designed her first prosthetic hand for the Science Fair but did not place anywhere. In 2019, she repeated the process with recycled materials, specifically a bottle, and was placed third. Thinking to herself that “this is worth more,” she tried again, and in 2020 she placed second at the Taiwan International Science Fair.

Farida wowed the judges with her invention of “something so simple,” that could be used as a functional device, where a “mind-training game” could be used to control the prosthetic hand that eh designed. The judges were also impressed by her use of a recycled bottle. “Why waste?” asks Farida, when we can use recycled materials to our advantage instead of adding to land-fills.

Farida is in her final year of a Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics at TUT and currently doing her internship at Beckerleg Orthotics and Prosthetics. She has been creating prosthetics for the past seven years and is passionate about innovation in this field.

Farida has made her research available online, and it is currently being used in countries around the world.  Her main goal is to get as much experience as she can so that she can continue making prosthetics and orthotics affordable and accessible to help people because she believes it “shouldn’t be all about money”.

Her advice to aspiring young innovators is not to ever give up. Farida advised that “if you push really hard and you do what you think feels right, it will be very much worth it in the end.”

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat.