13th May 2010
Fizzing, bubbling, smoking tubes of brilliant blue and brick red precipitates keenly observed by eager bright eyes who have accurately measured and combined fuming liquids into fantastic chemical concoctions . The mystery and excitement of a science practical is something that children enjoy. Its the moment where they get to determine using their own judgement the validity of scientific claims. So then I ask how can a child who has been deprived of this opportunity be enthused with science or even begin to claim a complete understanding of its concepts without seeing its theories in reality. That is the fate of children who attend Nkhomboli Secondary School in Malawi.
Nkhomboli Community Day Secondary School is a government school located in the remote and beautiful landscape of Nchenachena in Northern Malawi. As with most rural schools its underfunded with few trained teachers and poor facilities to cater for 200 students. Mr. Kalua is a highly motivated science teacher who tries to stretch the meager resources the school has but a teacher can only do so much! Thanks to Justin a PeaceCorp volunteer a laboratory and library were built but they are an empty shell. How can Barton become a pilot if he has never done an experiment on gravity..or Tandiwa become a pharmacist without organic chemistry or Memory an agricultural scientists without practicals on photosynthesis.
There are many ways you can help
– donate equipment (beakers, test tubes, measuring cylinders, pipettes, lab coats, goggles, reagents)
– donate science books
– money to build benches, worktops
– computers for computer based simulations
Contact me if you interested https://afrisciheroes.wordpress.com/contact-me/
African Science Heroes 