Ujabulela iqhaza ocwaningweni ngengculazi

LUNGI LANGA

UZIBONA ezokuba neqhaza elikhulu ekutheni kutholakale ikhambi lengculazi ngelinye ilanga usosayensi wesifazane osanda kuhlabana ngethuba lokuqhubeka ngocwaningo lwakhe ngalesi sifo.

UNkk Mopo Leshwedi-Radebe ungomunye wososayensi besimame abathole umfundaze wokuqhubeka nezifundo zabo kwezesayensi ovela enhlanganweni yamazwe i-Unesco nenkampani yeziphaqulo iL’Oréal, obizwa nge-L’Oréal Unesco Women in Science Fellowship.

Lo mklomelo usho ukuthi labo sosayensi bazothola ithuba lokuqhubeka nezifundo zabo nokwenza ucwaningo kunoma yini abafisa ukugxila kuyo.

UNkk Leshwedi-Radebe yena ukhethe ukuqhubeka nocwaningo lwakhe ngesifo sengculazi ngethemba lokuthi uzonika umhlahlandlela ososayensi abazimisele ngokuthola ikhambi lalesi sifo.

“Angazi ukuthi ikhambi lotholakala nini kepha nginethemba lokuthi lizotholakala ngelinye ilanga. Angazi ukuthi ngobe ngibambe iqhaza elingakanani ekutholakaleni kwalo kepha ngiyazi ukuthi kukhona engiyobe ngikwenzile ekusizeni abacwaningi ukuthi baliqonde ukuthi lisebenza kanjani leli gciwane,” kusho uNkk Leshwedi-Radebe.

Uthe lolu cwaningo olubizwa nge-Patterns and features of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell responses during acute HIV-1 infection and their association with viral control luhlose ukuthi lubheke ukusebenza kwegciwane emzimbeni nokuthi landa kanjani.

Lolu cwaningo luzokwenza okuthile ekuveleni kwekhambi elingasiza ukuvimba ukuqala kwegciwane.

UNkk Leshwedi-Radebe owenza izifundo zakhe zePhd kwiBiomedical Technology nososayensi abangu-10 abavela emazweni ahlukene ase-Afrika bathole imali engu-$20 000 (R165 000) umuntu ngamunye ukuze baqhubeke nomsebenzi wabo.

Ngaphambi kokugxila ekucwaningeni ubesebenza lapho okuhlolwa khona amagazi eNational Laboratories kepha uthando lwakhe locwaningo nesayensi lwamenza wabuyela esikoleni ukuyoqhubeka nezifundo zakhe. Lokhu kuholele ekutheni ajoyine uhlelo lwe-HIV Pathogenesis Programme e-University of KwaZulu-Natal okuyilapho aqhubeka khona nezifundo zakhe.

Le ntokazi yaseForest Hills, KwaZulu-Natal ezalelwe eSibokeng izimisele ngokuqhubeka nokufunda ngaphandle.

Uthe ukuhlomula ngalo mfundaze ukubona kuzokwenza umehluko omkhulu ekuphumeleleni kwakhe ezifundweni ngoba kuzokwenza kube lula kuye ukugxila ezifundweni zakhe ngaphandle kokuzixaka ngemali yokufunda obekuyinto ebimphazamisa kakhulu.

UMnuz Bertrand de Laleu, weL’Oréal kuleli uthe lolu hlelo lwakhelwe ukusiza ososayensi besimame ukuthi bangavinjwa yilutho uma befuna ukuphumelela ezifundweni zabo.

“Kulo mkhakha okusagcwele abesilisa kuwo abantu besifazane bavinjwa yizinto eziningi okubalwa kuzo ukungabi nayo imali yokufunda. Okuhle ngalolu hlelo lokubanika umfundaze ngukuthi i-Afrika izosizakala ngocwaningo lwalaba besifazane,” kusho uDe Laleu.

UJoseph Massaquoi we-Unesco uthe izwekazi lase-Afrika lingenza kangcono ekwandiseni abantu abenza isayensi uma kungagqu-gquzelwa imbokodo kulo mkhakha.

Uthe wethemba ukuthi nembokodo izoluthakasela kakhulu lolu hlelo lweL’Oréal ne-Unesco.