Perth Inventors African mission to inspire women

AN UNASSUMING Perth mum who recently won the British female inventor of the year award shared the stage with the South African deputy president as she addressed 1700 of the worlds most influcential businesswomen.

Remarkably Tanya Ewing - invenotor of an innovative real time energy monitoring device - has spent the last nine years battling a debilitating and life-threatening disease.

However she refused to let potentially fatal Lyme Disease get the better of her and now her "Ewgeco" contraption - which clearly shows how much gas, electricity and water a household or business is using at any point in time - has been labelled the most exciting innovation in years by industry insiders. 

The 39-year-old mum says her invention will allow home owners to keep a close eye on utility bills, while also showing in simple terms how practical changes like not leaving a television on standby can save hundreds of pounds over a year.

Tanya, whose illness often leaves her so tired she can barely walk, has already gained a huge amount of influential industry backing.

Indeed, experts confidently predict Ewgeco will "change peoples attitudes to their consumption of gas, water and electricity for ever."

She was invited to address an audience of government ministers and 1700 women from Africa, Europe and South East Asia at the inaugural South African Women Inventors and Innovators Symposium, held at the Gallagher Conference in Johannesburg.

The two-day event was organised by the South African government and the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network (GWIIN), the organisation behind the British female inventor of the year award.

She was invited by GWIIN to represent UK inventors and talked about her experience of taking an invention to the market and the value of intellectual property.

During the event Tanya shared the stage with the South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, who gave the keynote address.

With a serious energy problem in South Africa, there was a special mention of Tanyas Ewgeco energy monitor at the gala dinner attended by President Thabo Mbeki.

"I saw in the women I met a lot of passion and determination to run their own business," Tanya said.  "At the end of the symposium the deputy president signed a declaration to commit government support to help women succeed as entrepreneurs.  I hope I was also able to inspire them with my message that no matter what your back ground, it is possible to suceed."

Following the event in Johannesburg, Tanya visited Limpopo Province to address an audience of local businesswomen.

Ewgeco will officially be launched in the UK next month.