Nyheemah-Cox-David-Simelolo-and-Jeremias-Wade

[Music plays and photographs flash through of young students]

[An Australian map and text appears: BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards 2018]

[Image changes to show a rear view of three students walking into the school and then the image changes to show Jeremias Wade looking at the camera]

Jeremias Wade: I’m Jeremias Wade. I’m a Year 9 student at CAPS Coolgardie.

[Image changes to show Nyheemah Cox walking along a verandah towards the camera]

Nyheemah Cox: My name is Nyheemah Cox and I’m a Year 10 student at CAPS Coolgardie.

[Image changes to show David Simelolo walking towards the camera in the school grounds]

David Simelolo: My name is David Simelolo. I’m a Year 8 student at CAPS Coolgardie. 

[Image changes to show the three students sitting together and David talking]

Our project title was “Phyto Chemical Screening and Time Microbial Activity of Maroon Bush, Crimson Turkey Bush and Sweet Potato Leaves”.

[Images move through of the three students looking at plants in a garden, Nyheemah looking down, the plant they are looking at and Jeremias and Nyheemah as they look at the plant]

Nyheemah Cox: My group chose this project because back in my community, my ancestors used to use this plant to help heal our sicknesses and wounds. 

[Image changes to show Nyheemah putting on an apron in the science classroom and then the image changes to show the three students breaking off leaves and putting them into a food processor]

So, we researched more about these different plants to see how could they help.

[Camera zooms in on the pieces of the plants and then the students’ hands putting leaves into the food processor jug]

Jeremias Wade: Our aim was to find out if these plants had these chemicals to help our sick people.

[Image changes to show David talking to the camera while Nyheemah listens]

David Simelolo: I think this research will have a big impact on the community because some people don’t have money to pay for medications and that. 

[Images move through of the three students kneeling down between potted plants, water being poured into the food processor jug and Jeremias and then Nyheemah looking at the jug of leaves]

So, they can like go out in the bush and look for it locally because these plants grow wild and they can create their own medicines.

[Image changes to show Jeremias talking to the camera]

Jeremias Wade: We want to show people that bush medicine is still quite effective and sometimes a bit more effective than most pharmacy medicine.

[Images move through of David looking down, the food processor as it mulches up the leaves and water, the mixture in the jug being blended and the three students sitting together while David talks]

David Simelolo: I was surprised that all these plants that we were looking at had the different chemicals that we were testing for, for our bush medicine.

[Images move through of Nyheemah wearing safety goggles and looking down and then all three looking at and stirring a beaker of hot liquid]

Nyheemah Cox: In the future I want to become a nurse for this medicine that we may have discovered. 

[Image changes to show the three students sitting together and Nyheemah talking while the other two are listening]

I think, with further research it will become very useful for people in small communities that don’t have that access to medical supplies.

[Image changes to show the three students playing on an indoor basketball court and then the camera zooms in on David bouncing the basketball]

David Simelolo: One of the things I do when I’m outside of school is play quite a bit of basketball. I’m more of an outdoor person so I like playing sport and everything.

[Image changes to show Nyheemah shooting the basketball through the hoop]

Nyheemah Cox: In my spare times I play basketball. I go over to town and train for six days a week.

[Image changes to show a rear view of the three students walking through the scrub and then the image changes to show the students bending down and looking at a bush]

Jeremias Wade: I’m really proud of our research that we did, that could take us to Melbourne and people can recognise what we do here.

[Image changes to show the three students sitting down and Nyheemah talking while the other two listen and then the image changes to show Nyheemah and then David wearing safety goggles]

Nyheemah Cox: Being a finalist is really very exciting ‘cause for a young Aboriginal girl like me, from up north, it means a lot because something big like this has actually, you know, for our group has been recognised.

[Image changes to show the three students sitting down and Nyheemah talking while the other two are listening]

 So, it means a lot to become a finalist and representing W.A.

[Image changes to show a rear view of the students walking along a verandah away from the camera and then the image changes to show the three students sitting together and David talking]

David Simelolo: What I’m most looking forward to in going to Melbourne is to share my project with other people and also meet other people and learn from what they do.

[Image changes to show Nyheemah running down an indoor basketball court towards the goal and shooting the basketball through the hoop]

[Music plays and an Australian map and text appears: BHP Billiton Foundation, Science and Engineering Awards, 2018]