AFRICA
Awards honour women scientists tackling Africa’s challenges
A total of 30 African women are recipients of this year’s L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Awards that aim to support women researchers who are addressing major scientific challenges threatening the continent such as food security, public health and the impact of climate change.The women, 25 PhD candidates and five post-doctoral researchers from 15 countries, received their awards on 10 December in Cotonou, Benin.
Foundation L’Oréal and UNESCO, in a joint statement, said women represented only 31.5% of researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa and, for this reason, they have joined forces over the past 15 years to encourage more women to pursue scientific careers.
Since its creation, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science initiative has recognised 240 young researchers from 34 African countries. In the selection process over the years, 4,000 applications were considered.
The selected 30 scientists have benefited from financial support, including research grants of €10,000 (about US$10,500) for PhD candidates and €15,000 for post-doctoral researchers, along with leadership, communication, and negotiation training to enable them to better respond to challenges such as sexism.
Research stars
The women who were honoured this year are listed below.
• Bakang Kedumetse Kgasudi, a doctoral student in agricultural sciences from Botswana, whose research is focusing on creating more climate resilient, productive varieties of cowpea, a staple legume crop in the Southern African country;
• Blessing Olagunju is a doctoral student in chemistry from Nigeria whose research is about improving water quality;
• Dr Caroline Rosemyya Kwawu, a postdoctoral fellow from Ghana, whose work focuses on turning sunlight into fuel by creating compounds that can be transformed into fuel;
• Elisabeth Ngono, a PhD student in biological sciences from Cameroon, who has made a discovery in fighting ‘river blindness’;
• Ellasy Gulule Chimimba, a PhD candidate from Malawi, is an earth scientist who is working to empower farmers to build climate resilience in Malawi by identifying agricultural land at risk of drought;
• Happyness Ngonyani, a doctoral candidate from Tanzania, does research in the field of environmental sciences. Her study aims to promoting equal access to water in Tanzania by creating a platform that will allow authorities to communicate with local people more effectively about the best practices to manage water;
• Hilja Eelu, a mathematics doctoral student from Namibia, is working to enhance the elimination of malaria in Namibia through the use of mathematical modelling;
• Irene Nandutu from Uganda is a postdoctoral student in the field of computer and information sciences, doing research about harnessing artificial intelligence to investigate child brain health in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Jacquellyn Ssanyu, a doctoral student of Uganda, wants to use her studies in the field of health sciences to reduce teenage pregnancies in her home country;
• Joyce Etura, a medical sciences doctoral student from Nigeria, does research that focuses on maternal health;
• Juliet Edekor is pursuing her PhD in biological sciences in Ghana where she does research to conserve marine and freshwater fish by analysing their environmental DNA (eDNA), which is the genetic material fish leave behind in the water;
• Kidan Gebreegziabher Gebremariam is an Ethiopian doctoral student in physics;
• Marie Andrea Laetitia Huet, a doctoral student, works in the field of health biotechnology and does research about innovative biodegradable wound dressings;
• Lexy Andati of Kenya is exploring distant radio galaxies as part of her PhD studies;
• Loukaiya Zorobouragui, an agricultural scientist and PhD candidate from Benin, focuses on empowering rural communities to improve food security;
• Magdalene Udobi from Nigeria is a biochemist and is working on a PhD to contribute better to understanding the development of breast cancer;
• Marie-Marthe Chabi is a doctoral student from Benin who is studying in the field of biological sciences, focusing on the quality of life among diabetes patients by using light to prompt an antioxidant response and lower blood sugar levels;
• Mary Idowu from Nigeria is a PhD student in earth and environmental science and she does research about harnessing urban growth and climate insights to build farmers’ resilience;
• Matrona Akiso is from Kenya and, with her doctoral studies, she wants to develop an HIV vaccine for women;
• Mbithe Nzomo, also from Kenya, is a computer and information science doctoral student, who is doing her research on harnessing artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes;
• Melat Cherenet from Ethiopia is a biological sciences doctoral student whose research focuses on exploring the benefits of medicinal plants in treating illness;
• Natasha Onalenna Moraka from Botswana is a health science student, who is also working on a PhD that aims to contribute to the elimination of HIV;
• Opeyemi Ojueromi from Nigeria is a postdoctoral student in biological sciences working on research to combat malaria through the use of natural products;
• Pamela Ncube, a PhD student from Zimbabwe, aims to contribute to improving the detection of animal tuberculosis;
• Ruth Lorivi Moirana, a postdoctoral student from Tanzania in the field of material science, is focusing on research to improve soil health and raise agricultural productivity;
• Sambatriniaina Rajohnson from Madagascar is a physics doctoral student investigating unexplored galaxies’ impact on the universe;
• Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, also from Madagascar, is a postdoctoral student in agricultural sciences;
• Tendai Abgirl Makore, a PhD candidate in the field of agricultural science is from Zimbabwe and is focusing on creating nutritionally beneficial food supplements based on edible insects;
• Victoria Ngugi is a biological science PhD student from Kenya exploring the role of ageing in heart disease; and
• Wellile Nwamba from Eswatini is a doctoral medical engineering student focusing on improved detection of tuberculosis outside the lungs.
Pamela Ncube from Zimbabwe, Image provided
Becoming a scientist
Ncube, one of this year’s winners, spoke to University World News about her research and becoming a scientist.
Ncube said that, growing up, she was a curious child and her grandparents fuelled this curiosity. She also had role models who included nurses and doctors within the community. They were solution- driven, making her want to be in the healthcare industry.
“From the time I was in school, transitioning to high school, I really was in love with biology and [how] the subject solves problems surrounding health. And then that’s when I came across biological sciences in high school. From there, I chose a degree in science,” she said.
Ncube stressed the importance of mentorship, which helped her in her academic journey when she was afflicted by a lot of self-doubt. “So a scientific career is challenging on its own, and there are many times when you fail more than win. In times when I felt rejected, maybe because of the [failure to secure] a grant or marks that were not good, I felt a lot of self-doubt about whether a scientific career was the thing for me or not. But, during that time, particularly during my undergraduate studies and now, I have had a team that supports me in coaching and mentoring and that boosted my confidence, even in the challenging times,” Ncube said.
“Another challenge was funding. To study science is very expensive and, even if you do have the money, the expenses can be a lot more [than expected].
“So, throughout my career, I stressed about academics and also stressed that my funds [would not be] enough to really make me relaxed and [able to] focus on academics.”
Ncube said that, throughout her studies, she learned how to write for and grab opportunities for funding, which landed her a couple of scholarships that have funded her to where she is now.
What her studies focus on
Ncube’s doctoral studies at Stellenbosch University’s faculty of medicine and health sciences in South Africa focus on animal tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, an organism that has been studied far less than the more prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which primarily affects humans.
“This bacterium affects primarily animals including the rhino, lions, buffaloes, warthogs and more. My project is trying to find methods to understand the bacterium and how this bacterium manifests in animals because we know that, in humans, there are different states of infection,” said Ncube.
“When we are able to differentiate, then we can save the animal because the current policies are to cull the animal … just put down the animal when it is found to be infected. And the other aspect of it is to also influence policy. I can not only focus on culling the animals, but on saving the animals.”
Ncube said improving detection of the disease will inform conservation policies.