Ososayenzi base-UKZN Bagixabezwe nge-L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Grants

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UDkt Yogandree Ramsamy wase-College of Health Sciences noNks Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana wase-College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science bangabanye besifazane abayisikhombisa abathole ukuxhaswa ukuyokwenza ucwaningo lwe-L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science South African National Programme ngenxa yezinga lomsebenzi wabo wocwaningo.

I-South African programme for the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science South African Young Talents ingolunye uhlelo lwezimbili ezavela ohlelweni olwaluyi-L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science sub-Saharan Africa Regional programme, olunye kuwuhlelo lwezifunda zamazwe angama-48 ase-sub-Saharan Afrika.

Lolu hlelo luqhakambisa, lukhuthaze abantu besifazane abasebancane abasendimeni yezesayensi ngokubabona nokubaklomelisa ngomsebenzi wabo omuhle emikhakheni ehlukene yezesayensi njengeyezeseyansi yempilo, eyemvelo, eyobunjiniyela neyobuchwepheshe.

URamsamy noNks Sikhosana ngamunye bathole imifundaze yokwenza iziqu zobudokotela zenani lika-R80 000 etholwa yizitshudeni ezenza izifundo zobudokotela ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme zaseNingizimu Afrika.

URamsamy, ongudokotela noneziqu ze-Master's kwi-Medical Microbiology zase-UKZN, uwudokotela ohlola izidumbu ogxile kwi-clinical microbiology e-National Health Laboratory Services. Usebenza e-Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital kanjalo engxenye wenza iziqu zakhe zobudokotela kulo mkhakha. 

Lo mama wabantwana ababili uthe ukuthola umfundaze kuye kube into engakholakali, wathi kumjabulisile kakhulu.

‘Ngizibona ngiyinxusa elimele abantu besifazane abancane kwezocwaningo e-Afrika kanti ngikhuthazekile ngokusabalalisa umsebenzi wabantu besifazane endimeni yocwaningo,’ kusho yena.

URamsamy wengeze ngokuthi unesifiso sokukhombisa abanye abantu besifazane ukuthi ungaba wumama onomndeni nomsebenzi. 

‘Ngikholwa wukuthi zonke lezi zinto zingenzeka ngempumelelo kanti umphakathi kufanele ujwayele ukwemukela abantu besifazane abancane abasebenzayo nabanemindeni,’ kusho yena. ‘Ukufukula abantu besifazane kuwukufukula umphakathi.’

Ucwaningo lukaDkt Ramsamy ngokuvikeleka emagciwaneni kwezilwane, abantu nemvelo kwamenza waklonyeliswa ngendondo ngonyaka wezi-2018 i-Institute Mérieux-ICAN Young Investigator Award. Igama lakhe likhona kwi-2014 WHO’s WHO in the World listing, kanti ucwaningo lwakhe lwashicilelwa kwi-Lancet Infectious Diseases. Manje ucwaninga ukuthi bukhona yini ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinhlobo ezintathu zezolibofuzo. 

‘I-Antimicrobial resistance inobungozi obukhulu ekuphepheni emhlabeni wonke, kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi kuqhwashiswe ngayo ikakhulukazi emphakathini,’ kusho uRamsamy.

‘Lo mfundaze uzongisiza ngiqede ucwaningo lwami lwezobudokotela kulo mkhakha nokufundisa ngawo kuleli nasemhlabeni.’

URamsamy ubonge abaluleki bocwaningo lwakhe lwe-master’s uSolwazi David Muckart noDkt Khine Swe Swe Han ngokumkhuthaza ukuthi edlulele eziqwini zobudokotela. Ubonge abameluleka ngeziqu zakhe zobudokotela oSolwazi Koleka Mlisana no-Sabiha Essack, athi bayizingwazi kwezokucwaninga, wabonga uNkulunkulu ongabonwayo ngempumelelo yakhe nomyeni wakhe u-Prenolin ngokuhlale emeseka, wabonga unina ngesibindi, wabonga umfowabo, abasemzini, abangani nezihlobo namadodakazi akhe o-Saskya Sarvani ngokumkhuthaza ukuthi aphokophelele ukuphumelela njalo. 

USikhosana, owenza iziqu zobudokotela kwi-Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit (i-ACRU) e-UKZN, uyazifela nge-astrophysics kanti wenza ucwaningo nge-diffuse radio emission emaqoqweni e-ACTPol. Uke elekelele kwi-MeerKAT telescope. USikhosana wethemba ukuthi lo msebenzi uzokwelekelela ekuqondeni ukuthi le misebe ishintsha kanjani nomumo wayo eqoqweni lezinkanyezi.

Lolu cwaningo luzolekelela ngokuphucula ukuthi zenzeka kanjani izinto kwi-formation theories of diffuse radio emission, luveze naloko okungaziwa ngamaqoqo ezinkanyezi,’ kusho yena.

USikhosana uthe uthakasile ngokuhlabana kwakhe, wathi kuzomsiza akwazi ukuqeda izifundo zakhe zobudokotela nokuthi asebenzisane nabanye abantu kule ndima ezweni lonke nasemhlabeni.

‘Kumnandi ukwazi ukuthi ngenxa yomsebenzi wami wokucwaninga, ithimba labehluleli libone kufanele ukuthi ngithole lo mklomelo,’ kusho yena.

USikhosana, okusegazini kuye ukuxazulula izinkinga nokuhlale efisa ukwazi kwabanzi ngezinto, wayithanda esemncane isayensi wase ekhetha ukwenza izifundo ze-astrophysics ngemva kwesonto lokufunda ngemisebenzi le-ACRU ngenkathi efunda umatikuletsheni, egqugquzelwa ukuba nentshisekelo yokuxazulula izinkinga zomhlaba. Useke waklonyeliswa ngokuba ngowesifazane ovelele kwisayensi ‘i-Wonder Woman in Science’ e-KZN, wathola umfundaze i-TATA Doctoral scholarship yabantu besifazane abansundu emikhakheni enqabile, waqokwa ukuthi abambe iqhaza kwi-69^th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting ngonyaka wezi-2019.

Njengowesifazane omnyama e-Afrika emkhakheni ogcwele abelungu namadoda, uNks Sikhosana ubhekane nezinselelo eziningi, wasebenza ngokuzikhandla ukuze naye akholwe wukuthi uhlakaniphe njengabo bonke bantu futhi kumfanele ukuba kulo mkhakha.

‘Into enhle wukuthi manje ngicabela ososayensi abancane besifazane indlela ukuze kungabi wumqansa omkhulu njengoba kwenzeka kimina,’ kusho yena.

Amagama: wu-Christine Cuénod

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe