What if the solution to Samoa’s power crisis wasn’t in the hands of engineers but in the classrooms of its young scientists? 

At a recent school science fair finals held at St. Mary's College, Year 9 students Vinesse Sapolu and Louisa Chan Tung unveiled their working hydro dam model, built from recycled materials. 

The project was inspired by their personal experiences with power outages and flooding in their communities and the science fair theme of "Samoa towards a sustainable Pacific." 

"We thought of all of the issues in Samoa, such as floods, frequent power outages, and limited renewable energy. My partner and I thought of a hydro dam because it can solve all those problems," Sapolu said. 

"If we had a hydro dam, we wouldn’t have to depend so much on other sources of electricity."

The students proposed building the dam on the Vailima River, behind the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. 

"Robert Louis Stevenson built his own small hydro dam there to power his home," Chan Tung explained. Their model demonstrated how rainwater flows through a generator, spins a turbine, and converts energy into electricity. While they couldn’t construct a functioning turbine, they replaced it with a dynamo torch to illustrate the process. 

The students also believe their hydro dam could help mitigate flooding and soil erosion, which have worsened due to extreme weather. 

"All the water from heavy rains can be stored and used for power instead of washing away the soil and polluting the ocean," Sapolu said. Their science fair project may have been built for competition, but the students believe it has real-world potential. 

Other students also explored hydropower solutions. Year 11 students Desireeah Petelo and Alda Sapatu presented a hydro dam concept that uses seawater rather than river water. 

"We're using a hydraulic ramp pump to pump seawater into the dam, which will act as a reservoir," Sapatu said. "From there, the stored water will operate our turbine to generate electricity." 

The increasing threat of rising sea levels in the Pacific inspired their project, as well as the current power crisis. 

"Since our theme is sustainability for the Pacific, we wanted to find a way to help the region," Petelo said. "This can be another way of generating electricity for our communities," Sapatu added. "Instead of relying on fossil fuels, we could turn to renewable resources." 

Head of Science at St. Mary's College, Kiddihokalani Samaauga, said the creativity and initiative displayed by students should not be overlooked. 

"It makes me proud, but I'm also grateful for their confidence and passion in the subject," Samaauga said. "It's amazing to see how they come up with new inventions and conduct their research."

Samaauga noted that power outages have significantly impacted students' ability to complete their projects. 

"We almost didn’t have the finals this year due to bad weather and power shortages," Samaauga said. "Many students have adapted by designing projects that don’t rely on electricity. There used to be PowerPoint presentations, but now students have brought out their boards."