Winelands learners win top research prize in Ireland

Two teenagers from the Cape Winelands have won the Research Excellence Award at an international children’s research conference in Ireland, beating youth researchers from several of the world’s leading universities.

Maria Manwadu and Reananetse Mbizo, members of the Youth Research Advisory Group (YRAG) linked to the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), received the accolade on Thursday 17 July 2026 for research rooted in the tuberculosis challenges facing their own communities.

The YRAG programme, which serves Somerset High, Touwsriver Primary and Masakheke Combined School, is supported by a modest grant from the UCT Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDMM) Social Accountability Committee, which covers materials and equipment.

Maria, a Grade 11 learner at Somerset High School, presented her study “Can artificial intelligence detect TB from a single chest X-ray?”; while Reananetse, a Grade 12 pupil at Masakheke Combined School in Robertson, was recognised for “Filtration efficiency of homemade masks against airborne micro-organisms". Maria was mentored by Dr Sarah Nyangu and Reananetse by Dr Carly Young-Bailie, TB researchers at SATVI.

The pair competed against youth research groups attached to the University College Dublin, Case Western and Walter Reed University, among others at the International Children's Advisory Network (iCAN) Summit.

A seat at the research table

The award caps a science engagement programme that turns the usual relationship between researchers and communities on its head.

“Community engagement is too often treated as an add-on to research. We have flipped that,” said SATVI communications manager and programme coordinator Kelvin Vollenhoven, who developed the programme. “When you give young people from a high TB-burden district a genuine seat at the research table, they don’t just learn science – they help shape the questions science should be asking.” At the heart of the model is the YRAG, a participatory governance structure in which learners play a crucial role in research, reviewing adolescent study materials and advising SATVI investigators, while being supported to design and run their own projects. Scientists from SATVI and partners, such as iThemba LABS, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), local environmental health officers and the Breede-Gouritz Water Council, help learners identify research questions and guide them through the process.

“This shows what is possible when world-class researchers partner with learners in a low-resource setting, rather than simply studying them,” Vollenhoven said. “We have both an ethical and a moral commitment not only to conduct excellent TB research, but to grow the next tier of TB researchers from within the communities where we work.”

A programme with a track record

The Ireland award is the latest milestone for the YRAG programme that has steadily built momentum since 2024. In the 2024–2025 period, learners designed and conducted original research across biology, computer science, environmental science, physics and the social sciences; and presented their projects at regional and national science expos. Beyond the medals, the programme reports measurable growth in learners’ confidence, an increase in adolescent collaborative projects, scientific identity and academic ownership, alongside greater awareness of the TB research agenda in young people in the Cape Winelands. Built on the YRAG participatory model, structured mentorship, peer education and repeated hands-on exposure to TB and water laboratory environments, the programme is designed to turn one-off encounters with science into lasting pathways into research.

The Ireland award follows a strong showing at the 2025 Stellenbosch Expo for Young Scientists, where learners took home one gold medal, two silver medals, a bronze medal and two special commendations.

Twelve learners submitted nine projects, several working in pairs.