BY OWETHU DLAMINI
MBABANE– A scientific educational hub for young minds in Eswatini.
Eswatini Foundation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education has announced a number of different programmes for children to participate in the following year, 2023.
According to Mandla Sithole, Country Director and Founder of the Eswatini Foundation for STEM Education, the programmes took place every year but due to COVID-19, there were a few challenges that prohibited the foundation from carrying out the programmes in the previous years.
“These programmes are done so as to broaden the participation of children and the quality in STEM education in Eswatini. Our wish is to increase the access that emaSwati have to what we call future education and plant seeds in the children’s minds that will increase their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics,” said Sithole.
Sithole further mentioned that most of the programmes were sponsored, which meant that parents would not have to pay towards their enrolment. He noted that there was a certain criterion for particular programmes that would have to be explored for the enrolment of the children.
“For some of the programmes, there is certain criterion that we have to look at such as the engagement of the children in their day-to-day studies. This is to ensure that the children will participate accordingly in the programmes to enhance their knowledge,” said Sithole.
The founder went on to invite all children to take part in the programmes if they were interested in them as registration for the programmes would end on November 30, 2022. He also stated that community clubs, which were clubs that were particularly founded in different schools, would be announced in the following year.
The Eswatini Foundation for STEM Education, according to their social media pages (Facebook) has also invited volunteers who would like to be a part of the programmes. It was also mentioned that there were attributes that would be considered in the selection of volunteers for the programmes.
