Two budding scientists from Newcastle returned home from a science festival in Tunisia with prestigious awards. Hamzah Ismail (left) and Vibhav Ramdas are both Grade 12 pupils at St Dominics Newcastle High School.
Image: Supplied
TWO budding scientists, propelled by their dream to make the world a safer place, returned home to KZN with prestigious awards from an international science festival in Tunisia.
Hamzah Ismail and Vibhav Ramdas, both Grade 12 pupils at St. Dominics Newcastle High School, says the next goal is to patent their ideas.
The two competed against the most promising youngsters in science at the 2025 International Festival of Engineering, Science, and Technology (I-FEST²).
Fueled by their passion for innovation that improves lives, the two are hoping to scale up their projects and see it used in everyday life.
Despite fierce competition, Ismail was awarded a bronze medal in the highly competitive environmental science category, for his project titled: Developing Eco-friendly, Fire-retardant Plastic Bricks as an Alternative in Modern Construction.
His practical approach to sustainable building earned him high praise.
Ismail told the Independent on Saturday that through his project he wanted to address two issues that are close to his heart; plastic pollution and homelessness. Through his bricks he hopes to get rid of plastic waste and make it cheaper for people to build homes.
The competition, he says, solidified his belief that hard work and perseverance pay off. “The competition was fierce, with brilliant young minds from all over the world. To be recognised in that environment is truly an honour,” he said.
Still undecided about his future study plans, in either dentistry or engineering, Ismail says apart from “chilling” with his friends or family, he is actively involved in the local mosque, Masjid-e-noorani.
During the Covid-19 pandemic Ismail took a gap year and dedicated his time to becoming a Hafiz, someone who memorises the Quran.
“It was very hectic during Ramadaan where I recited it every day. I’m following in the footsteps of my father and my brother,” he said.
Vibhav Ramdas says has always loved coding which he mostly learnt from YouTube and after learning about the shocking accident and death toll on South Africa’s roads, he felt compelled to do something about it. Rambas earned an Honourable Award in the computer science category for his project “Using Object Detection to Improve Road Maintenance.”
“There are potholes all over the country and my project shows you where and how big they are. But potholes are not unique to South Africa, at the science festival some of the participants showed me the potholes in their countries and the vehicles that got stuck in them.”
Through the use of webcams that were calibrated, he developed a system that can detect potholes and their precise location. The information is loaded onto a website that can be accessed by motorists. He’s hoping that eventually it can be monetised and used by municipalities at home and abroad to fix potholes, maintain roads and make them safer.
Ramdas says he lives by the motto that “if you have a dream, make that dream work for you.”
Despite his interest in coding he is determined to become a neurosurgeon. “I can still work on projects like this," he said.
On a personal note, a heartwarming outcome from the science festival is their budding friendship.
“At first we didn't like each other but by working and traveling together we realised we are alike in many ways,” said Ramdas
Like Ismail, Ramdas says his schedule allows him to have fun and he believes that finding a balance in life is important. He loves padel, playing games, TikTok and “waking up late”.
Blessed with a photographic memory, Ramdas says he prefers studying a day or two before an exam so that he can clearly recall each page.
The I-FEST science festival took place from March 21 to 27 in the coastal city of Mahdia, Tunisia. The Eskom Development Foundation played a key role in helping the students travel to Tunisia after they earned their spots at the 2024 Eskom Expo International Science Fair.
Mologadi Motshele, Acting CEO of the foundation, said “Their innovation, dedication, and commitment to their research are truly inspiring. Through programmes like the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, we continue to support and empower South Africa’s youth, nurturing the next generation of innovators."