There is perhaps no project more fulfilling than one that is close to your heart, and that can have a positive impact on both your future and the world around you.

Students at Somersfield Academy had the opportunity to exhibit “personal projects” they worked on over a six-month period as part of their International Baccalaureate with subjects ranging from social justice to sustainability.

The eighteen M5 students at the Personal Project Fair on Thursday evening exhibited significant bodies of work produced on their own initiative with a focus on responsible action.

The four Uighurs who were brought to Bermuda in 2009 made an appearance in support of one student Hasna Turner, 16, who is to publish a book charting their plight from oppression in their homeland of China and subsequent seven-year imprisonment in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to their ongoing ordeal in Bermuda where they remain stateless and forbidden to leave.

Social justice was also on the agenda for 15-year-old Torben Axelsen who produced a documentary about the controversy behind the Rio de Janeiro Olympics including the displacement of more than 77,000 people from their homes.

One display that could prove useful for the future of farming in Bermuda was that of Mason Outerbridge, 15, who hopes to inspire more people to grow their own food through aquaponic techniques — a sustainable technique he says can halve the growing time of much produce.

The story of the Uighurs — four Muslim men who, on being released from Guantánamo, were brought to Bermuda through fear of being persecuted in their own country — touched Hasna’s heart. A Muslim herself, her family took them in and helped them to settle to the island as they sought legal counsel to gain citizenship allowing them to travel freely.

However, seven years on the Uighurs — Abdullah Abdulqadir, Khalil Mamut, Salahadin Abdulahad and Ablikim Turahan, along with their children, remain bound to the island and stateless. Hasna, whose book Prisoners in Paradise is undergoing legal clearance before hitting the bookshelves in the coming weeks, said she decided to combine her passion for social justice and writing to help tell their story.

She told The Royal Gazette: “The circumstances they endured were very, very harsh and very, very brutal. I wanted to show the truth behind the stereotypes, the misconceptions, the conventional understanding and ideas of Guantánamo detainees.

“They nowhere near fit that description — they are the most humble, generous, honest and forgiving people that I have ever had the privilege to meet and that is why I wanted to write a book about them.”

Asked what she hoped would be gained from telling their story, Hasna replied: “We cannot take back the seven years that they lost in Guantánamo Bay but we can build up on their future by allowing them to have travel documents and citizenship. The only way to get that is by getting consent from the British government which has been reluctant to do so. My ultimate goal is to get them citizenship in the future.”

Mr Mamut took to the stage at Somersfield Academy to express his gratitude to Hasna for taking up their cause.

“We are thankful that our sister has helped to bring all this information together in a book so people can better understand our situation. On behalf of our families we appeal to the Bermuda and UK Governments to grant us citizenship so that our children do not grow up stateless as we are now. We humbly encourage you to read the book when it is published later this year.”

Mr Abdulqadir added: “For almost eight years here now me and my children are stateless. It is really sad especially for our children who are raised here — they have never left the island. I registered him last year on the football team at Gilbert Institute he came home very excited he said ‘daddy school are going to take me to Canada.’ I said who and how? He doesn’t understand that he is stateless — he is just 5. I said yes, god willing.”

Torben showed a trailer of his documentary The Forgotten People of Rio de Janeiro which not only explores the catastrophic financial losses caused by the hosting of the Olympics last year, but also the displacement of tens of thousands of people — mostly poor, who saw their houses ripped down to make room for new builds for the sporting event.

“During the summer when I was watching the games I couldn’t go five minutes without seeing articles about the controversy behind the games. As I really enjoy making movies as well as sports and social equality I though the three went so well together.

“It didn’t make sense to me why a country would spend so much money in hiding their underprivileged instead of investing in them and maybe bidding for the Olympics in a few more years. That is why I made it but throughout the project my opinions got even stronger as a result of my research.”

Through his personal project, Torben has highlighted the Grael Project which teaches underprivileged children to sail helping them to steer clear of gangs and away from drugs. His project raised $250 towards the organisation which tied into the responsible action aspect of the assignment.

Mason Outerbridge, 15, is an aspiring marine biologist with an interesting side hobby: aquaponics.

He was able to build a system in his backyard that can continually feed a family of five or six.

He explained: “About five years ago a student came to Somersfield and made an aquaponic system and I was fascinated with it. I am an advocate for sustainability — I work at the aquarium and Bermuda Conservation Services.

“I made a very large aquaponic system at my house and we have an influx of food. I had a very good teacher — Roy Dennison — who runs Bermuda Aquaponics and he is probably one of the best in the business. He taught me everything I know and all the plumbing.

“At the moment I am growing broccoli, arugula, lettuce and spinach and onions. One of the main benefits is that it uses less water. It also grows faster, bigger and it takes less time — it cuts almost every time in half.”

Asked whether he thought the system had much potential in Bermuda, Mason added: “I think that this can be used for anyone but I don’t think it has been exposed enough that is why I am hoping through this project I can get some more people to help their families instead of having to purchase overseas food. It is more difficult to grow roots but you can pretty much grow anything in the system it just depends on how big the system is.”