Friday, 25th November 2022, was one of the most exciting and memorable days of my life. One of the biggest exhibitions in Kuwait, Kuwait Children’s Science Congress (KCSC), was held at Smart Indian School. There were 16 schools, with 45 exhibits. Myself, Fida Anushad, my teammate Aamna Rehan, and my guide, Ms. Varsha Arunkumar, were ready to present our project, ALU BLISTER ALUM: A Water Treatment Flocculant.

Kuwait Children’s Science Congress or KCSC, is a platform to express your ideas in science and technology in the form of a project done over the course of 4-5 months. Students from various Indian schools in Kuwait participate in this event.

We reported to the school at 7:30 and prepared our stall for the day. We were finally at the auditorium by around 9 AM for the inauguration ceremony, where we were able to listen to the wise words of two eminent KISR scientists, as well as the Chairman of Bhavans Middle East, Mr. N.K Ramachandran Menon, and the principal of Smart Indian School, Mr. Mahesh Iyer.

Soon, after the session, we returned to our stalls, ready to present our project to the audience who would be visiting us. The first round would begin with the judges visiting each stall, going through the exhibits, and asking questions as well. We presented our project with confidence and were able to answer to the judges’ questions.

We had many visitors visit our stall, interested in our project. Many had asked their queries regarding the project, and it was interesting to see the different views and questions they had regarding our project. This helped to broaden our view of the project. Our parents had come to visit and support us as well. We too decided to go visit other stalls as well. I was taken aback by the wonderful and ingenious ideas from other schools. Students had their ideas displayed in various number of projects, some of which were unique and innovative. The event is an excellent platform for students to nurture their curiosity and expand their knowledge in the field of science. Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was around 1:30 in the afternoon. It was time for the viva. We moved towards the viva room, with all the courage that we could muster, ready for what was to come. The judges asked questions straightforwardly, and we were able to go through this round as well. A day at the exhibition flew by and ended by 5 in the evening.

We were all awaiting our results and finally on 3rd of December were more than happy to know that our efforts had paid off and the project was selected for Nationals! I thank Ms. Geetika Ahuja, respected Principal, and my guide Ms. Varsha Arunkumar, for her endless support without which the project would never have been a success. I also express my gratitude to our beloved parents as well.

We would also like to thank SIF Kuwait for conducting such events to promote science and technology to students in Kuwait.