Umjikelezo WeScience 2018

Before it gets far too late I need to let you all know about my latest trip to South Africa. Once again I was involved in Umjikelezo WeScience in and around Durban, and before that I spent some time at the UniZulu Science Centre in Richards Bay.

It is over a month since I set off for Durban and Richards Bay on my latest trip. I did some shows in the Unizulu Science Centre and also helped with staff training. The main difference from most trips was the presentation to undergraduates at the University of Zululand itself.

Fortunately it’s not all work and no play, otherwise this Jack would be a very dull boy. Over the weekend I was there my hosts took me to the Isimangaliso Wetland Park at Cape Vidal. We had the opportunity to relax, go snorkelling and take a look at some of the wildlife in the park.

The second week was spent visiting outlying rural schools with the Umjikelezo WeScience project. The project is a collaboration between the Centre for Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education (CASME) Science2Go, Durban Natural Science Museum (Go Wild), KZN Science Centre, STEC@KZN and the UniZulu Science Centre. Modelled on Dr Graham Walker’s Scienc eCircus Africa, the collaboration aims to take the experience of visiting a science centre or museum to areas where schoolchildren whose location and financial background would normally prevent this.

The word Umjikelezo means circle in IsiZulu and draws on a cultural practice of church groups taking their message on the road to communities. In this spirit the project is taking the message of Science to rural KwaZulu-Natal.

We visited four schools during the week. Each day the team met up so that we could travel in convoy to our destination in rural KwaZulu Natal. The schools were Charles Hlengwa High School, Albini Girls High School, Ubhedu Primary School, and Banguni Secondary School. You can get an idea of where these are in relation to Durban on the interactive Kitchen Chemistry map.

On the first day we were visited by Sasol, one of South Africa’s major chemical companies. They had very kindly donated a fully equipped mobile laboratory to the project, and the official hand-over took place at the event. On the final day Nautilus Engineers, a local company who were able to talk to the learners and give some careers advice.

Thank you, once again, go to my very generous hosts, and I look forward to being able to take part again next year. It looks as if 2019 will involve quite a bit of travelling, but that news can wait for a later post…