A conference delegate defines a person who is given the honour of representing a larger group.  Consequently, with such trust comes great responsibility.  The mission of an SAWomEng Conference delegate in particular, is to be an ambassador for women of today in the engineering domain all over South Africa. This experience marks a turning point for many young women, as they come to appreciate and embrace the multi-faceted nature of the female engineers.

The radiance of a lady is enough to attract attention, let alone the blinding beam from seventy young ladies.  Excitement, mixed with an element of suspense, brought about giggles and laughter on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa’s Mother City. This day marked the beginning of the  fifth Annual SAWomEng conference, with seventy university students as delegates.

An effective way of giving engineering students a glimpse of life after academic studies is by exercising teamwork through a technical project. The bright young minds of the female engineers of tomorrow were ready to take on a technical project and form lifetime partnerships with engineers from diverse disciplines. With the theme of this year’s conference based on water scarcity, each delegate was presented with the challenge of contributing her unique skills towards coming up with sustainable water management solutions for the upliftment of informal settlements. Township tours were an eye opening experience for most delegates. This not only helped sharpen the minds of the ladies in preparation for the project, but also raised awareness for the importance of being sensitive to societal issues as an engineer. The standard of excellence set by SAWomEng cofounders and the 2010 Conference Executive was more than enough to ignite the engineering flame within the ladies.  As a result, presentations of a high standard were delivered at the end of the conference.

Owing to a range of activities planned for the week, there was never a dull moment. Fashion shows, karaoke and even self-defence classes, were all for entertainment to the outsider, but somehow asecond look at the crowd revealed an element of teamwork, empowerment and support. Mentorship workshops and educational talks were the order of the day. Reputable guest speakers from in and outside the engineering field were more than willing to help young ladies with their transition from academics to professionals. 

The conference also formed the bridge over which delegates managed to crossover to meet representatives of renowned companies in South Africa. Each evening there were sponsored events in the most beautiful venues in Cape Town. Being afforded such an opportunity was truly humbling and each delegate undoubtedly holds this experience close to their heart for a lifetime.

One cannot survive alone in the world of engineering, male or female. This is why we need to raise each other up.  Not everyone who becomes a delegate to the SAWomEng conference has a burning flame for engineering. It may have been put out by the challenges that come along with just trying to make it to graduation day or being put down by words of discouragement. Working with other people forms a constant reminder of how significant one’s contribution to society is and gives a sense of purpose.

 “Involvement is the key to your call”-Bonnie Deuschle.

Whether we feel like it or we do not, we should push ourselves to take action. When the flame of engineering has begun to burn out or when we begin to take our eyes off the bigger picture, we have all the more reason to engage in activities that facilitate the restoration of that passion. Becoming an SAWomEng delegate opens doors of opportunities. It leaves one ready to face any challenge, which is why one should aspire to become a leader of tomorrow, starting with this conference. The 2011 SAWomEng conference is already under construction for engineering students all over South Africa who will also one day live to tell the story of how the experience changed their view of the role they have to play as women in engineering.

 The 2010 conference delegates

By Chipo Chimhundu