tawandamusarurwa
Youth Buzz
Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
SCIENCE, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers are being touted as jobs for the future, as they help to engender innovation, sustainable development and social well-being.
Seeing women thriving in these fields serves as an inspiration to young girls and normalises their roles in these professions.
Thirty-year-old civil engineer Michelle Rutendo Sibongile Maphosa has come up with an innovative project to increase the number of women in STEM fields.
The project includes a virtual network platform called “Tea in 60”, which she co-founded with her friend Wadzanai Bwanya in 2020.
This is a community-driven platform that connects girls and women in STEM through virtual mentorship, peer networking and business support.
For 60 minutes, women and girls have a cup of tea, wherever they are, as they interact online with experienced mentors, who inspire them to remain and thrive in STEM fields.
Mentors also share what they experience at their workplaces.
On the same platform, women receive training in digital and financial literacy.
Eng Maphosa, who is a National University of Science and Technology graduate, is also producing an African children’s book series, with the first part having been published in 2020.
Implemented by the Federation of African Engineering Organisations and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the pilot phase will see 2 000 books printed and distributed across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.
Two of the books are titled “Sibo the Electrical Engineer” and “Sibo the Chemical Engineer”.
“We want to be able to produce a book for as many STEM fields as we can.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done and we are introducing these professions to kids, while they are still young. If they can name it, then it becomes simpler to understand it. When we get children to reflect on these professions while they are young, they start problem-solving and become more innovative,” she said.
In the books, names, places and processes are localised so that children can better identify with STEM-related concepts.
In addition, numerous characters in the books — including the protagonist Sibo — are female, serving as role models for young girls and normalising the presence of women in traditionally male-dominated areas.
Also, part of the initiative involves distributing copies of the books to libraries in various primary schools.
Eng Maphosa said the other phase is the production of animations by her colleague, Bwanya, to ensure “Sibo the Civil Engineer” is fun and easy for children to engage with.
They will be broadcast on local television stations.
Children will also have virtual and in-person tours, where they can experience what they read in the books.
“About 100 learners will be taken to some of the sites captured in the book, like a water-treatment plant, building site or road construction site. We want the kids to wear these little helmets and reflective jackets and have them behave like civil engineers.”
Further to that is an online platform dubbed STEM Explorers, which will provide resources for parents, children and teachers.
STEM-related toys, regalia and kits of related fields will be sold for children to get used to the areas.
It is expected this initiative will help to groom a large pool of young women and girls who take up STEM subjects from a young age.
Local partners who have already come on board include the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers and the Bulawayo City Council.
Eng Maphosa has vast experience, having worked as an associate civil engineer on United Nations-related contracts and post-Cyclone Idai recovery processes.
Her experience also includes lecturing students in computer applications in Civil Engineering and Water Resources, as well as working with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe as a junior technical officer.
◆ Twitter: @BullaFatima
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter