speaking about the challenges BT Young Scientist & technology exhibition

“My School has no electricity, toilets or running water”- Benjamin, (8 years) Science for Development Award

“When we store our main maize crop, a lot of it doesn’t last because it rots” - Amos , (30 years)

“I could grow more maize if I had a better fertiliser” - Frederick,

“To irrigate the crops I have to carry water half a mile from the river”- Max , Burkino Faso

“The only way I can afford to send my daughter to school is by borrowing from a loan shark at 1,000% interest” - Anna,

Gorta-Self Help organises a “I have excess pototoes once a year but nobody in my small rural village can afford to buy them”- Mary, fact finding visit for students and teachers to Africa, each year. “In the rainy season the roof lets the water in“ - Kanika, , (11 years)

During these visits participating students have had the opportunity to meet with local people and ask them about the issues affecting their lives. Below are some of their answers.

“I have to walk two miles to collect 20 litres of water, twice a day. It’s hard work collecting water, and takes a lot of my time” - Grace, (14 years)

“ I have to cut and carry firewood twice a week from 5 miles away “- Betty, (12 years)

Contact Us: If you would like to develop BT Young Scientist projects that address any of [email protected] or dorothy.jacob @selfhelpafrica.org Student scientists address the challenges faced by people in Africa, we can help. Office telephone : (01) 6778880 Mobile: Patsy - (087) 2849244 Dorothy - (086) 8654170 One of our team could visit your school and facilitate a workshop to look To find out more, or learn more about our curriculum Africa’s development challenges at the role that innovation could play in African development support materials visit: www.selfhelpafrica.org We can provide curriculum materials to help with your research. We would be happy to answer any questions that you have about the competition, or talk through any project ideas you might be considering.

www.irishaid.ie www.worldwiseschools.ie www.selfhelpafrica.org THE SCIENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT AWARD what to enter

he “Science for Development Award” is presented at the BT Young Scientists Project criteria Poor soil fertility and land degradation Exhibition each year to a research project that addresses a challenge faced by the Poor sanitation Inadequate healthcare The winning project of the ‘Science for Development’ poor in Africa. Problems with transportation and T award should clearly address a specific issue in a also the overall national BT Young Scientist of the Year accessing markets Global South context and show a willingness to learn Exhibition. Threats posed by crop pests and disease more. Absence of agricultural advice & who is eligible to enter support Topics that could be addressed include: Cooking, food This award is open to any entrant (individual or group) Hunger eradication and food production preparation & storage who has been accepted in the Intermediate or Senior The environment (e.g. deforestation, clean Access to credit (micro-finance) sections of the BT Young Scientist & Technology water & sanitation, soil fertility, soil Exhibition, and whose project addresses an issue facing erosion, pollution) Those are the challenges. Why not respond to Climate change people living in the Global South. Projects could include: some of these questions at this year’s BT Young Appropriate and sustainable technologies n Scientists 2016 winners Ruaidhri Jordan, Ben Conlon Health care, HIV/AIDS, TB eradication, etc and Mason Scallan with Minister Sean Exhibition? Sherlock. Biological and Ecological Sciences Chemical Physical and Mathematical Projects should demonstrate a clear understanding Established in 2006, the award is organised Sciences of a partnership approach to development, and annually by the education unit of Irish development demonstrate an understanding of the connections Social and Behavioural Sciences agency Gorta-, and is sponsored by Irish between the local (Ireland) and global context for Aid’s WorldWise Global Schools -Ireland’s post-primary Technology tackling the chosen development issue. development education programme. All the info you need on the competition is available at: www.btyoungscientist.com or visit: What are the challenges? The award provides the successful entrant with a www.selfhelpafrica.org/ie/schools/ travel bursary to fund the cost of one student and their Gorta-Self Help Africa works with some of the teacher to travel on a fact-finding visit to Africa. world’s poorest and most marginalised people. The award has been presented in the past Gorta-Self Help Africa’s Development Education team Amongst the challenges people face in their daily to students who have developed fuel- efficient cooking will run workshops for students and teachers who might lives are: stoves, solar-powered water purification devices, be interested in submitting suitable ‘Science for investigated traditional home-births and examined the Development’ projects in the 2017 BT Young Scientists Famine and food shortage treatment of dairy produce. Exhibition. Limited access to water for drinking or We would also request those who are submitting irrigation purposes The 2010 winner of the award Richard O’Shea was projects for the award to forward an additional copy of Limited seed stock to produce crops their project to us.

Science for Development Award winners

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 The inaugural winners of the A device that sought to purify Leaving Cert student Tara Students from Muckross A fuel efficient cooking stove Daniel Nyhan, Sean White Keane Nolan and DJ Hanley Clonakilty Community Ballyclare students Emily Lecky Megan Duffy and Zoe McGirr award were students from drinking water using solar McGrath from Presentation College, Donnybrook, , developed by Leaving Cert and Michael McCarthy from from St Mary’s Academy, School scooped the award and Zoe Cheshire were winners from Oakgrove College Moyne Community School, panels won the 2008 award School, Kilkenny, won the won the award in 2009 with student Richard O’Shea Clonakilty Community School, CBS, Carlow won for a for the second time in three with their solar powered water in Derry were selected as Co. Longford, who won for a group of students from 2008 award with her fuel their study on home birth from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, were winners for devising a project that analysed raw years - this time Transition sanitation furnace, which used 2015 winners with their the award for their study on St. Joseph’s Secondary School efficient pressure cooking practices and services in rural Blarney, won the award in special garden vegetable pack versus pasteurised milk, and year students Fergus Jayes, solar to pasteurise water and was project, which created a seed volunteering and support for in Creggan, Derry. device. Kenya. 2010. Richard also won the designed to help improve the potential use of natural Darragh O’Donovan and designed for use in the aftermath harvesting kit for subsistence charity in Ireland. overall BT Young Scientists family diets. preservatives in milk. Ciaran Crowley winning, with of natural disasters and in regions farmers in Africa. prize. their solar powered fridge. where sanitation was poor.