UFUNA uthando lwesayensi ezinganeni zase-Afrika lwande, uDkt Bongiwe Mshengu ofundisa isayensi ophikweni lweChemistry nePhysics, enyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal.
UDkt Mshengu (35) waseMzumbe ungomunye wabesifazane abasohlelweni lwe-UKZN, lokuhlonipha abesifazane abasemkhakheni wesayensi olubizwa ngeWonder Women in Science.
Le ntokazi eyafunda eBuhlebethu High, ithe yakhula inothando lwesayensi ngakho ifisa ukuludlulisela kwabanye abantu.
“Ngikhule ngithanda ukuba wudokotela kusukela ngimncane. Ngineminyaka eyisithupha ngaba nepamuza elikhulu onyaweni lwesokunxele elalenza ngingakwazi ukuhamba. Ngayiswa kumelaphi wesintu owasebenzisa amakhambi ahlukene ukuze angilaphe. Kwakuyisikhathi esibuhlungu kodwa ngalapheka ngagcina sengikwazi ukuhamba. Lokhu kwangenza ngawathanda amakhambi ngafuna ukucwaninga ngolwazi lwawo ekulapheni. Ngakhetha izifundo zesayensi emsebenzini. Ngikhule ekhaya nasesikoleni othisha bethi ngizoba wudokotela ngoba ngangenza kahle esikoleni,” kuchaza uDkt Mshengu.
Emuva kokuphothula * -matric akakwazanga ukufundela iziqu zobudokotela ngoba wayengenawo amaphuzu enele kodwa wagcina esenza iziqu zeDietics. Ngonyaka wokuqala wenza iPhysics, chemistry, biology ne-mathematics.
“Ngathola ukuthi i-chemistry ilula kanti ngangiyithanda nePhysics, lwavuka uthando lwemithi. Ngaqala ngafunda ngeminye imikhakha yesayensi ngoba ngifuna ukwandisa ulwazi lwami ngamakhambi asetshenziswa ukwelapha izifo ezihlukene ngokwesintu nangokwaseNtshonalanga.”
Wathola iziqu zeBSC kwiChemistry neBiochemistry wenza neMasters nePhd eyayigxile emakhambini.
Ushadile unezingane ezimbili.
Ufisa lwande uthando lwesayensi ezinganeni ngoba abantu abaningi abayibheki ngeso lokuthi isetshenziswa nsukuzonke.
“Izingane zizitshela ukuthi isayensi ilukhuni ngoba zifunda izincwadi zingabheki ukuthi isayensi iyasebenza ukulapha nsukuzonke. Ngikholwa wukuthi isayensi imnandi uma nothisha abayifundisayo beyiqonda kahle. Umsebenzi onikwa izingane kufanele kube yilowo ozokwenza ukuthi zisebenzise izibonelo ezizibona emphakathini wazo.”
Uthe umsebenzi wakhe wokucwaninga ngesayensi awulula ukuwuthola ngoba kuyabiza ukwenza ucwaningo ngakho abantu abakulo mkhakha badinga ukulekelwa.
“Ngasizakala ngokuthi ngithole uDkt Roshila Moodley, naye okholelwayo kwabesifazane abakwisayensi. Nginethemba lokuthi uma sisebenzisana isayensi izoba mnandi ezinganeni sande nesibalo sososayensi besifazane kugcwale zonke izinhlanga kulo mkhakha,” kusho uDkt Mshengu.
Ugqugquzele abafundi ukuthi bawuthande lo mkhakha, bazinike isikhathi sokwenza umsebenzi, bahlale bezivivinya ukwandisa ulwazi lwabo. Uthi uma usebenzisa isayensi zonke izinsuku ulwazi luyanda ugcine usungumpetha wayo.