Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust (MLW) has launched a Science for All (Sci4o) Project to inspire upper primary and secondary school learners to take up careers in biomedical and clinical science research.
The project will use film shows, workshops and career guidance for students in selected schools in three education divisions, namely South West, South East and Shire Highlands.
Speaking during the launch of the project on Monday, MLW communications and policy engagement coordinator Pauline Mlogeni said the project seeks to demystify myths that science is for males, difficult and for the elite.
“So far, we have gone to rural areas in Malawi where we are telling people about the science that we do here at MLW. We will also be taking there our career guidance and film shows to inspire students that science is for everyone,” she said.
MLW head of viral immunology research group Dr. Kondwani Jambo, who is also one of the people whose career film will be used to inspire the students, said despite having science subjects in schools, there is still a gap in terms of people who take up science careers in the country.
“Lack of exposure is one of the factors why we are not doing well. As such, because we cannot take every other scientist from institutions or places which are doing sciences to the schools, what we have decided to do is to take short films of the scientists’ and their work as well as how they got where they are to schools in order to show that to a much larger audience,” he said.
