Ghana Education: Sustainable Solutions for a Sustainable Future Presented at DPSI Science Fair in Tema

In a recent interview given at a Science Fair at DPS International school in Tema, Indian High Commissioner, Sugandh Rajaram, said his country will continue to cooperate with Ghana in different areas, including innovation and technology, for the sustainable growth and development of both countries. “Innovation and skills remain priority areas of our cooperation. We are working with the authorities and all stakeholders in Ghana to ensure that new development, capacity building and ideas are implemented here,” he stated.

The Science Fair, which was on the theme: ‘Sustainable Solutions for a Sustainable Future’, saw students exhibiting innovations that will drive the future in the areas of security, health, agriculture, energy and sustainable cities, amongt others.

Sugandh Rajaram was highly impressed with the out-of-the-box thinking projects displayed. According to him, educational institutions are an important part of both countries’ development, particularly innovation, research, startups and other futuristic orientation. “If we get the cooperation of educational institutions like DPS International in this effort, I think it will be a catalyst in the expedition of the cooperation,” he stated. He commended the children and school authorities, and encouraged the children to continue making the most out of the platform provided to them.

One of the major highlights of the Science Fair exhibition was a drone built to help firefighters. The JARVIS project built a drone with 20,200 revolutions per minute motors giving 4kg of thrust with its 10-inch propeller compared to a conventional drone with only 100 to 200 rpm motors. The drone displayed features including facial recognition and identification, and its aim is to help firefighters rescue people who are trapped by flying into the fire and sending information back wirelessly within a minute. This innovation is to help avoid instances where firefighters enter a building with no idea of how many people are there and where they may be. Shriman Jha, Raj Thakwani, Ernest Mintah, Chris Amankwah, Semekor Pi-Bansa and Barima Yaw Ofori-Boateng Kyeremanteng are the brains behind this innovation.

Another highlight of the DPSI Science Fair exhibition, was the project by some students to produce electricity from biodegradable waste after settling on cow dung. According to a member of this group, Varunikha Anandan Sangeetha, after fermentation for two weeks, the cow dunk was able to produce sufficient methane gas which was used to heat water in a pressure cooker. The steam from the pressure cooker was strong enough to turn turbines which produced electricity to help them charge a car battery. Such innovation could be a game-changer, as the world continues to search for cleaner sources of energy.

Another group, led by Nana Akosua Birago Sefa, explored an automatic lighting system that goes off during the day but turns on at night. This project is different from the solar type as it does not need batteries to store power.

In the area of health, three students; Kezia Ewuradjoa Nkrumah, Nana Kwame Kyeretwieh Osei Tutu and George Ernest Gambrah, developed a dialyzer to help deal with kidney failure in Ghana. For this to work, two tubes are put into the body where the blood goes into the dialyzer to be filtered. It then enters two containers where urea, excess salt and excess water are extracted, and the filtered blood returns to the body to be circulated. The team took this opportunity to encourage a healthy diet, and incentivize people to drink water regularly, exercise, eat less fatty and sugary foods, reduce salt intake, and take some time to relax, as these could reduce the chances of kidney failure. This treatment could cost $500 per session of 6 hours and about $72,000 per year.

Having witnessed these innovations, Municipal Chief Executive of Kpone-Katamanso, Samuel Okoe Amanquah, said such fairs could be replicated across the public and would have a significant impact on Ghana’s future. He was quite worried that public schools do not have the financial wherewithal to nurture the talent of the children.

Founder and Director of DPS International, Mukesh Thakwani, was excited to see that children of all ages representing different countries had projects centered on artificial intelligence, nuclear power, water conservation, fighting COVID-19, as well as dealing with phone addiction.

The principal of DPSI, Dr Seema Nair, indicated that the theme for this year’s Science Fair was towards UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. Her joy stems from the fact that children from pre-primary to the AS level had projects on renewable energy, sustainable housing, transport and communication, among other ideas, which will have a tremendous impact on the future.

Other schools are expected to take part in the Science Fair exhibition next year, in order to make it more competitive and improve their research skills.

ABOUT DPSI GHANA: DPSI was commenced in the year 2010 aiming for quality education and excellent learning, providing holistic, modern, comprehensive, technology-driven classes right from Creche to A Level. With the motto “Service Beyond Self”, DPSI strives to excel the needs of children in Ghana and its neighbouring countries.

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