Jomvu Girls Ring Bells With EGIS Project!

Jomvu Girls High SchoolThe field of science is no exception to contributions from incredibly talented and intelligent female scientists throughout history. The first woman to win a Nobel Prize was the Polish-born French scientist Marie Curie, who also became the first person to win it twice, first in 1903 and later in 1911.  Marie Curie has made a significant mark on scientific history and thus continues to be renowned worldwide, but how much do we know about women in science from other regions of the world?

Deuniciah Syomiti Masa, a Form 2 student in a rural community in Mombasa, Kenya was inspired by a keynote speech delivered at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa by Dr. Evelyn Gitau, a researcher at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and a Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Fellow. Dr. Gitau’s words inflamed Deuniciah’s passion for science, and it was at that moment when she promised herself that the “…next female scientist is going to be from Africa. She is going to be from Kenya. And she is going to be me!”

Deuniciah’s resolve is much stronger than the determination of the average student who is primarily driven by the prospect of achieving high scores at school. She is participating in a project called Educating Girls in Science (EGIS), an initiative sponsored by Intel and the Aga Khan Foundation, USA. EGIS seeks to empower girls to apply science-based learning outside the classroom in order to address critical needs within their communities. Such practical application of theoretical concepts from class leads to improved learning of the sciences, one of the main objectives of the EGIS project. Additionally, it aims to raise awareness of science as a life skill, and also increase the number of girls pursuing science.

Deuniciah and 45 of her fellow Jomvu Girls High School students are part of a science club at their school that was restructured as part of EGIS to provide the girls with a strong platform through which they could effect positive change. The girls thus put their heads and apparatus together in the school’s science lab to create a multi-purpose detergent and disinfectant.

Jomvu girls hold samples of their detergentThe girls decided to pursue this project because they observed that the detergent sold at the local market was expensive and incompatible with the salty water used in the Jomvu community.  Their analysis of the poverty and hygiene needs within their community pushed them to create a high quality product that is effective but also affordable for the people of Jomvu.

As with any project, the one that Deuniciah and her group members pursued required commitment because their resolve and scientific knowledge was tested by various challenges. Their first challenge was scientific in nature.  The chemical reaction involved in the making of the detergent was taking too much time. After identifying this problem, they used a catalyst to speed up the reaction, which reduced the reaction time by half.

Their second challenge was the lack of resources available to them. The girls did not have enough plastic bottles to store the detergent and disinfectant in. However, they made use of their critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills to find a solution. Deuniciah and her group pooled their resources to collect bottles from their community and recycle them for storage purposes.

Despite the challenges the girls faced, their project reaped benefit and had a significant impact in their community. The Jomvu Girls High School is located in a hilly area and close to the school building is the girls’ dormitory. The girls living in the dorm often have to wait for their parents for several days to bring them soap when their supply is replenished. The availability of a multi-purpose detergent that can be used for both cleaning and washing purposes by altering its chemical components thus gives the girls better access to soap. 

The girls discuss project developments In addition to the detergent and disinfectant being a welcome commodity in the girls’ dorm, its success outside the school is even more impressive. The local Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) hospital has purchased the disinfectant from the girls. In hospital wards where cleanliness and hygiene is absolutely crucial, the use of the Jomvu girls’ disinfectant on a large scale is a proud achievement for their project. They also took their success a step further by taking initiative to request the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), a government body that regulates and assesses the quality of products, to evaluate their detergent and disinfectant. KEBS accepted the proposal and is currently conducting the review.

Without doubt, these girls have exceeded expectations by producing a product on their own that is not only helping their community but also ringing bells on a national level. Their real achievement however lies in the transformation of their attitudes towards science, and the rise in their self-confidence. It is initiatives such as the NEF fellowship and the EGIS project that cultivate local talent, empower girls to pursue otherwise male-dominated fields like science, and also play an important role in inspiring budding innovators from Africa.

“Don’t just sit in class and listen to pass exams. Apply the science! If you learn about wires properly, then you can make your own wiring,” said Monicah Abulitsa, a Form 2 student who also participated in the EGIS project. When asked about her role model, Monicah confidently said, ”I don’t have one. I want to be my own hero!”

by Haifa Badi-Uz-Zaman