South Africa’s 16-year-old representative at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition and the minister of water and sanitation met over breakfast yesterday morning before Unam Halam was off to find out if her project has won while minister Senzo Mchunu had several high-level engagements on water issues scheduled.

Halam, the co-inventor of the Drop Saver, regaled Mchunu with stories of the birthing of the project, which she and classmate Faith Classen designed, and the journey it travelled to end up as finalist in the Stockholm competition.

The breakfast was held at the Sheraton Hotel in the Swedish capital and kicked off what was set to be a big day for both Halam and Mchunu.

Later in the day, Halam, Grade 10 learner at Heatherlands High School in George, attended the competition’s awards ceremony, held in the main auditorium of the Norra Latin. While she didn’t win the prize, Halam says she learned important lessons during her journey. Read more about it here.

For Mchunu, a day of meaningful and important high-level engagements lay in wait. He partook in a 09:00 session that centred around the question ‘What is the value of water cooperation?’ looking at transboundary co-governance and management of water resources around the world.

At 11:00 he was a speaker during the international high-level panel on Water Investment for Africa, that featured speeches from dignitaries from the African continent and other parts the world.

*Blake Linder of Knysna-Plett Herald is in Sweden to report on the 2022 World Water Week Conference currently being hosted in Stockholm.

Read other articles about World Water Week here:

• World Water Week: Minister reflects on first day Stockholm

• World Water Week: George learner stakes her water claim in Stockholm

• Stockholm World Water Week: The importance of groundwater

• World Water Week: Water and sanitation minister welcomes SA delegates to Stockholm