LJMU donates microscopes for African youngsters

A project is underway to ship LJMU microscopes to Africa.

45 microscopes are being shipped out this week to Gambia – a donation from the Faculty of Science to local charities which support science education in the country.

Laura Randle (pictured), a senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, said: “Children and young people in Gambia have limited access to practical science due to a lack of teaching staff knowledge, equipment and resources. 

“A container will be shipped to Gambia during February half term. Then at Easter, I shall be joining in the work over there to help distribution the equipment and training some of the end users. 

Girlguiding

Dr Randle is a volunteer with Girlguiding and has brokered the donation for the organisation’s Cheshire Forests Girl’s Take Action project, a group working with schools and colleges on the ground in West Africa through the Gunjur Project Association and Raise Gambia.

Laura has trained Girlguiding volunteers - Rangers and Young Leaders from across North West England  - to deliver ‘science made fun’ sessions in Gambia.  Session include DNA extraction, biochemical analyses,  microscopy to explore plant and animal cells, understanding germs and the importance of hand washing, investigating magnetism and electrical circuits,  exploring chemistry by making slime and investigating pH and using balloons and Cartesian divers to explore air pressure.

The girls have been busy fundraising to pay for the shipping of the microscopes and collecting donations to equip the community centre they have built during previous trips. 

Added Laura: “We couldn’t do this without the help of the Faculty and the PBS technical team, led by Sue Lewis, who prepared the microscopes for shipping.”

More more about the projetc, see @GGCFGambia https://www.facebook.com/TeamGambia/ @GPAGambia https://gpagambia.org/