Asharami Synergy Limited Kenya, a Sahara Group oil and marketing company, has said it is committed to promoting gender parity initiatives by encouraging more girls to seek careers in science. Asharami Synergy Country Manager Debola Adesanya said getting more African youths involved in science remained one of the continent’s “surest platform to achieving accelerated growth and development.”
“Science is at the foundation of what Africa needs to take advantage of the huge potential it has in its robust youth population and abundant resources,” he added.
According to the African Development Bank, less than 25% of African higher education students are in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) fields, with majority of students studying social sciences and humanities. This has led to slow growth in domestic STEM workforce and consequently, outsourcing of STEM jobs in Africa to other countries, including the US, China, and India.
The 11th of February is set aside for celebrating the achievement and encouraging the participation of women and girls in science. The day is also used to create awareness and debunk stereotypes that hinder girls from seeking STEM careers.
In commemoration of the day, Asharami Synergy took its awareness campaign to Alliance Girls High School in Kenya. Speaking during a session with the students, Jecinta Ndugire, Trader at Asharami Synergy Limited, said the company was delighted at the commitment of the teaching staff and the interest of the girls in exploring the world of science.
“It was heartwarming to see the girls exuding so much joy and confidence in their career paths as future scientists and Asharami Synergy will continue to promote more involvement of Kenyan boys and girls in science,” she said.
Alliance Girls Principal, Mrs Virginia Gitonga, said the institution continues to witness more interest from the girls and would continue to support their dreams of becoming great scientists from Africa. “With the support of Asharami Synergy and more stakeholders, the future definitely looks bright for Kenyan youths.”
The students who received corporate souvenirs from Asharami Synergy said they were delighted with the choices they had made and looked forward to becoming inventors and renowned scientists.
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Branice Kazira Otiende said: “The beauty of science is that it unites people in spite of their race, religion, and ethnicity as they come together to solve problems facing our society. A great example is the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why is important to encourage young people especially girls to embrace science by rising against the social stereotypes.”
According to Cherise Otieno, “My perspective of science can be different from your perspective of science. What fascinates me the most about science is that even the slightest of ideas is relevant and counts. Science is immortal and it becomes more interesting as time goes by.”
For Winnie Nduta, “the world of science is arguably the most remarkable discovery of man. Female participation in the world of science is awe-inspiring and it does melt my heart. The fact that science has created room for us to improve our abilities makes me attach great value to it.”
Shirley Munene said, “Girls often shy away from science thinking it’s only for boys or having the mentality that it is hard or complex. We live in a gender equal society where knowledge is open and free for all.”
Kigona Precious said, “Science makes me curious. It pushes me to explore the natural world. I love it as it answers the ‘why’ questions in basically every imaginable question in a mind joggling manner. Through science, many more discoveries will be made, and the world will be a better place for the future generations.”
Lilan Michelle, who derives her inspiration from Thomas Edison, said, “Millions of women have impacted so many lives through their inventions and innovations, this means that women are very much capable of soaring to greater heights in terms of science. Thus, girls our future in science starts today.”
