Gender Equality South Africa Project #19779

Supporting Women in Science in Southern Africa

by Canon Collins Trust

Project Report | Jan 26, 2017
Thank you for supporting Women in Science!

By Siobhan Margolis | Communications and Fundraising Officer

Canon Collins Trust Women in Science

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the Canon Collins Trust Women in Science project over the past two years. With your support, we have funded the postgraduate studies of more than 30 female scientists, engineers and mathematicians at universities in South Africa, the UK and Ireland, providing southern African women with the opportunity to develop high-level expertise in key scientific fields.

You have helped fund remarkable women like Nancy, an environmental expert from Malawi who is in the final stages of her PhD in Environmental Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Upon graduation, Nancy will be one of very few Malawians with the specialised knowledge to take a lead on issues of climate change adaptation and resilience. She hopes to use her expertise to design, develop and obtain funding for projects that enable rural farmers to adapt to the challenges of climate change, and to promote environmental conservation efforts in the region.

Caron, from South Africa is completing a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at University College London. Caron’s PhD is focused on HIV/AIDS research, using cutting-edge technologies such as live- cell imaging to investigate how the HIV virus enters cells. This ground-breaking research has particular significance for Caron’s native South Africa, commonly regarded as the epicentre of the HIV crisis.

Alda, from Mozambique, is studying for an MSc in Engineering at University of the Witwatersrand. She considers it a great personal accomplishment to be thriving in a field that was previously considered exclusively for men. Her dream is to become a Senior Reservoir Engineer and to inspire other Mozambican women to pursue careers in the field of engineering.

These women are not only leading remarkable scientific breakthroughs and contributing to the development of southern Africa and the wider world, they are also breaking down barriers, smashing stereotypes and serving as inspirational role models for women and young girls in their communities.

We are no longer fundraising for this project through GlobalGiving as our scholarship focus for 2017 will be on Law, Education and Humanities. However, we will continue to support southern African Women in Science, specifically through our administration of Graca Machel SASOL scholarships and Commonwealth scholarships. For more information on our current areas of focus, and a list of all the 2017 Canon Collins scholars, please visit our website.

Many thanks, once again, for your generous support.

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Jun 9, 2016
Female scientists take centre stage at Scholars' Conference

By Siobhan Margolis | Fundraising and Communications Officer

Brilliant female mathematicians and scientists took centre stage at our annual Scholars' Conference in Cape Town over the weekend of May 27-29.

The Scholars' Conference, which creates a forum for Canon Collins scholars to deepen their engagement with critical current issues, and work towards creating meaningful social change, was a resounding success. One scholar said: "It was by far the most uplifting and engaging conference I've been to. The openness and level of engagement and consideration amongst such a vastly diverse group of scholars is a real testament to the values that the Canon Collins Trust holds dear and I feel extremely privileged and humbled to be part of such a group"

At the centre of the conference was a show-stopping keynote address by Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice Principal of Research and Innovation at Unisa. Professor Phakeng is one South Africa's most highly esteemed black female scientists and has won numerous awards and honours in recognition of her innovative research on teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms. She gave a powerful and galvanising speech on the importance of institutional transformation of Higher Education in South Africa, as well as sharing her own personal story of overcoming great obstacles to rise to the top of academia. The Canon Collins scholars were moved and inspired by this speech, which one scholar desribed as "articulating ideas that touched us all" and another scholar saying that Professor Phakeng "basically embodies what I want to be as a black female academic". You can read the full address here.

Scholars also got the chance to give presentations and enage in stimulating discussions and debates on their own areas of research. We had a rich variety of presentations from several female scholars who are pursuing postgraduate studies in the realms of science and mathematics.

Nqobile addressed challenges to food security and agricultural productivity caused by climatic change and the rising global population. Her research is concerned with promoting the use of organic fertilizers in order to prevent environmental degradation while improving crop yields.

Cerene explored the anxieties and defeatism that surrounds mathematical education South Africa due to common misconceptions about its difficulty. She proposed an educational approach thats seeks to demystify maths and promote its accessibilty and applicabilty.

Kgothatso spoke of the great African resources paradox: 75% of the world’s poorest countries are in Africa yet it has the largest mineral industry in the world. Her research addresses this imbalance and explores how artisanal and small scale mining could provide a sustainable livelihood for millions in Africa.

Alaika explained her work with The South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers (SAIAE), which aims to create a network of young professional scientists in South Africa and increase public awareness around agricultural and environmental issues.

These women are engaged in a wide range of scientific disciplines but they share a commitment to the promotion of greater accessiblity for southern African women in science. Not only are they breaking glass barriers for themselves but, as Canon Collins scholars, they are deeply commited to the advance of social justice and carving out an easier path for those who come after them.

Please continue to support the work of the Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance Trust and help us foster a powerful network of change-makers and future leaders in Southern Africa.

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Jan 28, 2016
Congratulations to our 2015 graduates!

By Siobhan Margolis | Communications and Fundraising Assistant

Scholar celebrates graduating with a PhD in Chemistry

A huge congratulations to the cohort of Canon Collins female science scholars who completed their studies in 2015. These women, who have obtained masters and doctoral degrees in a range of science subjects, are now entering the southern African workforce as highly trained specialists who can make a real impact in their fields.

Taskeen obtained an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge on a Canon Collins scholarship in 2015. She is now involved with a tech start up, which has recieved funding from Google to provide free online computer science and programming courses in South Africa. Through this initiative, Taskeen hopes to be help democratize access to technology, and reduce educational inequality in the region.

Kgothatso recently completed her PhD in Geology from University of the Witwatersrand. She is interested in small-scale mining, environmental protection and social development and, now that she has graduated, Kgothatso hopes to work with the African Union, promoting economic emancipation through sustainable mineral resouce development.

Another recent Canon Collins graduate, Kgadi, has completed a PhD in Science Education and is now training pre- and in-service science teachers at the University of Pretoria. Kgadi hopes to make a contribution towards the improvement of the national science curriculum in South Africa.

These are just a few of the many exceptional women in science who were funded by the Canon Collins Trust in 2015. Through their academic and professional achievements, these women are breaking down barriers and defying prejudicial stereotypes. We will continue to support, and engage with these remarkable women through our alumni network in the years to come.

However, the work of the Trust is not complete. 2016 sees a new cohort of scholars, who are just as passionate about technology, development, innovation, and succeeding in the world of science. To learn more about the invaluable work of the Canon Collins Trust and to view the profiles of the 2016 scholars, please visit our website.

Best wishes,

Siobhan

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