Likhona Wolsak and Kyle Jansen with their teacher, Mr Leander, and school principal, Hilton Smith, from Proteus Technical High School in Atlantis. Picture: Supplied
Two pupils from a high school in Atlantis have made not only their school but their community proud as they set to jet off and represent South Africa in Denmark at the Unesco Global Goal Eleven (UN Goal 11).
The UN Goal 11 is about making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Likhona Wolsak, 16, from Witsand, and Kyle Jansen, 17, from Sherwood Park, from Proteus Technical High School, recently won a civil construction competition by a Danish company where they designed a new type of brick using ash and other waste products from Atlantis Foundries. The new brick will emit less carbon dioxide.
The win for the boys and school will therefore see them heading to Copenhagen from October 30 until November 3.
These two construction boffins created the bricks under the guidance and assistance of their teacher, Mr Leander.
Speaking to IOL, Mr Leander, who is an engineering graphics and design teacher, said they were asked by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to enter a competition on sustainability in the building industry where they had to look at various existing materials. Products and methods to use in sustainable building practices that are being used in the world today.
"In short, we had to come up with a workable building product where we either took an existing product and redesigned it to make it better or come up with a totally new product. So, we did our research and came up with a type of brick that is out there that is being used in the building industry, but we altered it so that it works better and also took out harmful materials," Leander said.
The newly designed brick is called Timber-Ash-Crete.
There is a brick with the same name in Australia called timbercrete that is being commercially used and manufactured.
Leander said their brick, however, does not only take out the sawdust from the environment but also takes out the foundry ash from the environment.
Wolsak said he had mixed feelings when his teacher approached him about the competition, but once the project was explained to him, he grew excited.
"We had a lot of ideas and tested various products of our own design. We tried mixing our brick with different waste materials, like timber and plastic, and also tried mixing it with foundry ash. The brick with foundry ash showed promising end results as to the rest of our products.
"We did extensive research into different waste materials that cannot simply be thrown away like any other biodegradable garbage when we stumbled upon this material called foundry ash, which is a dangerous biproduct when inhaled," Wolsak said.
He said the harmful substance is produced in Atlantis by surrounding factories and becomes a danger to the community when blown across the town by strong winds.
"My partner (Jansen) and I decided to mix the ash with the sawdust (timber), a byproduct of wood in the form of shavings, which also creates health risks when it rots. But, by mixing the two (ash and sawdust) and adding cement, we were effectively trapping the ash and timber inside, sealing away their rotting spores and harmful carbon footprint. Now the brick we created poses little to no danger in our environment," he said.
Wolsak said it took them three weeks before they were ready and able to run tests on their brick and another week to get the outcome and final end results they were looking for.
His dream was always to become a chef and own his own restaurant; however, high school soon changed this, and his eagerness for engineering and taking these subjects soon led him to his dream of becoming a civil engineer. Winning the competition has just cemented his dream.
Jansen said their aim in designing this brick was also to ensure it would not affect the carbon footprint.
"I would love to be an architect in the near future to pursue the different aspects of designing a building or house and all the intricacies of design itself.
"For my partner and me, it is an honour to have gotten the opportunity to partake in the competition, let alone win it. So being able to go to Denmark is super exciting," he said.
The teens will be flying and going abroad for the first time.
The trip costs R100,000 to R120,000 for the boys and their teacher and includes travel and accommodation.
"I am hoping to learn more about what opportunities are available outside South Africa. I would also love to learn more about the culture in Denmark and about what they do differently in their schooling systems in comparison with our own in South Africa.
"It would truly mean a lot to me to go on this trip, mainly because opportunities like this are scarce in our communities, and being one of the very few to get this chance means the world to me.
"This trip could open doors for me in terms of my future and studying further," Jansen said.
Wolsak said this opportunity suddenly makes it seem their dreams are not far out of reach.
"Our sir [Mr Leander], our school, and the entire community of Atlantis have rallied behind us, giving donations and sponsorships. Our sir even opened a shop, donating all the earnings to our trip. We would not have made it this far without their encouragement and support. We are truly grateful and blessed and just want to say thank you for everyone’s support," Wolsak said.
The teens now aim to start their own company together, become kings of their generations, and give back to their community.
School Principal Hilton Smith said the school shared in their excitement and was so proud of their pupils because they worked so hard despite doing this while writing June exams.
"This is an eye opener and example for other learners that anything is possible if you work hard and if you are dedicated, committed, and disciplined.
"It also emphasises the sterling work of our educators in previous (and still) disadvantaged schools and communities with minimum resources. We can compete with everyone, although we have 60 learners per class," Smith said.
He also added that while funding is difficult in the community, the school is trying to raise funds through raffles, food stalls, and donations.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL