By Mama A. Touray
The University of The Gambia (UTG) Science Students’ Association Monday commemorated Science Week at the Ebujan Theatre.
Gambian Maimuna Triera, the association’s president said:” I want to encourage girls to be participating in the sciences, because science is not something that is for the male only but instead science is for women (all).”
“We can do it, we are not just supposed to be lawyers and bankers only but we can be engineers we can be pilots as well. We have a lot of bankers, lawyers, accountants but do we have a lot of scientists,” she asked rhetorically.
According to her, the continent need not to wait for USA and other countries to invent vaccines for it to cure covid-19 but “we need to import hand sanitizers remember when the Covid kicked in how much hand sanitizers were costing.”
”If we ventured into the sciences, we could have made one of these things by ourselves we are scientists we should be innovators and be the cream la cream of the nation because actually the nation now is echoing on science and technology,” she said.
“As the world we live in, we cannot do without science and science is very integral, is very important especially in our society so what we need to do as university students are to be able to harness our potentials so that it can fit suit contemporary in vital issues,” she said.
Aisha Gassama Marenah, secretary general of the University of The Gambia science students’ Association, said: “Science Week is a weeklong activity annually conducted by science students and designed to unite students of the division of physical and natural sciences who brainstorm on the scientific knowledge, innovations and approaches used to tackle societal problems.”
“The week is a platform where the beauty of science is displayed through exhibitions, debate and quiz and creating an avenue for young scientists to showcase their talents and as well motivate others to venture into sciences,” she added.
Muhammed Hydara Vice president of the association said: ”elevating health and technology in Gambian society is every man’s responsibility. More over from the academia side for a better primary health care system in the Gambia.”
He said the Gambia has experienced loss of hundreds of lives of mothers and children due to “improper health care system and inadequate human resource and available blood banks”.