Ikiganiro na Prof. Verdiana Masanja, umugore wa mbere wabonye PhD mu mibare muri aka karere
Verdiana Grace Masanja ni Profeseri (Full Professor) w'imibare kuri Kaminuza nyafurika ya Nelson Mandela African Insitution of Science and Technology, ni we mugore wa mbere wabonye impamyabumenyi y'ikirenga mu mibare (PhD in Mathematics) mu karere k'Afurika yo munsi y'ubutayu bwa Sahara ukuyemo Afurika y'Epfo gusa.
Profeseri Verdiana Masanja yabonye impamyabumenyi y'ikirenga mu mibare mu mwaka wa 1986 afite imyaka 33 y'amavuko Hari mu kwezi kwa mbere mu mwaka wa 1986, icyo gihe akaba yari afite imyaka 33 y'amavuko. Iyo Kaminuza yigishaho iri mu mujyi wa Arusha mu majyaruguru ya Tanzania, yigisha amasomo y'ubumenyi bwa siyansi n'ikoranabuhanga ku rwego rw'icyiciro cya gatatu cya kaminuza (Master's) n'urw'ikirenga (PhD). Iyo Kaminuza kandi yakira n'abanyeshuri bo mu bihugu byo mu karere k'Afurika y'iburasirazuba. Madamu Masanja w'imyaka 67 y'amavuko ukomoka muri Tanzania, mbere yigishije mu cyahoze ari Kaminuza Nkuru y'u Rwanda - ubu cyahindutse Kaminuza y'u Rwanda - aho yaje no kuba umukuru w'akanama k'ubushakashatsi. Mu kiganiro na BBC Gahuzamiryango, aragaruka ku byo yanyuzemo nk'umugore kugeza abonye PhD ndetse n'inama agira abagore n'abakobwa bifuza kwiga amasomo ya siyansi n'ikoranabuhanga. Ukiri umwana w'imyaka 10, wumvaga ushaka kuzaba iki umaze gukura? Prof. Masanja: Icyo gihe, cyo kimwe n'abandi benshi, nari mfite inzozi zo kuba umuganga wo ku rwego rwa dogiteri. Ibintu byinshi byaje guhinduka kuko ubwo najyaga mu mashuri yisumbuye, igihe cyarageze dufata amashami adutegurira kujya mu mirimo twifuzaga gukora mu gihe kizaza. Ababaga bafite amanota meza cyane bose bajyaga mu ishami rya siyansi - ni ko byagendaga icyo gihe, abasigaye bakajya mu mashami atari aya siyansi. Rero nagiye mu ishami rya siyansi, nitwara neza, ntsinda amasomo yose, nimutse niga imibare, njya mu ishuri ry'abakobwa rya Jangwani Girls Secondary School i Dar es Salaam ryigishaga imibare, ryakiraga abakobwa 23 bahize abandi mu gihugu kuko ni ryo ryonyine ryigishaga ibirimo n'imibare. Ibyo bivuze rero ko ntize ibinyabuzima, ibyo kandi bivuze ko ntari nkize ubuvuzi bw'abantu [kuko isomo ry'ibinyabuzima ni ingenzi ku babwiga]. Kandi ngeze no muri kaminuza nahisemo kwiga imibare n'ubugenge (physics) ndetse n'ibarurishamibare (statistics), mbona impamyabumenyi y'icyiciro cya kabiri cya kaminuza muri siyansi, mpita nguma ndi umwarimu wungirije mu ishami ry'imibare kuri kaminuza, ari nabyo byampaye icyerekezo cy'akazi nkora kugeza ubu. Kwiga imibare uri umukobwa, mu ishuri byabaga bimeze gute? Prof. Masanja: Urebye, mu mashuri abanza nibwo niganaga n'abahungu n'abakobwa, kandi iteka nabaga uwa mbere mu ishuri, rero nta kibazo cyari gihari. Kandi rwose mu by'ukuri, icyo gihe ntabwo twumvaga ko ibi cyangwa biriya ari akazi k'abagabo cyangwa abagore….Ubwo najyaga mu mashuri yisumbuye nabwo nize mu mashuri y'abakobwa gusa. Ariko ngeze muri kaminuza bwo twigaga turi abakobwa n'abahungu, kandi abakobwa bigaga imibare bari batatu gusa mu banyeshuri 120. Aho rero nibwo noneho mu by'ukuri wabonaga ko imibare ari iy'abagabo. Nibwo twatangiye kubibona. Ariko narabarushaga rero, nta kibazo cyari gihari, kandi uko twari abakobwa batatu twese twitwaraga neza cyane mu masomo. Iyo abahungu bagiraga icyo batuvuzeho, bakivugaga tutumva, kandi ahubwo babaga banadusaba kubasobanurira amasomo, rero kuba twari abakobwa batatu gusa, ntabwo cyari ikibazo gikomeye. Wiyumvise gute umaze kubona PhD? Prof. Masanja: Mbere na mbere nk'umugore numvise nishimye cyane kubona impamyabumenyi y'ikirenga mu mibare, nyuma yo kunyura mu bintu bigoye cyane. Nari naragiye mu Budage kwigayo amasomo yo ku rwego rw'ikirenga mu mibare, ariko, bitandukanye na bagenzi banjye b'abagabo twajyaniranye bagiye ahandi [mu Budage] kwiga iby'ubuhanga mu miterere y'ubutaka [geology] n'ibindi, jyewe sinahise mbona uwo kunyobora [supervisor] mu bushakashatsi mbere yuko ngenda. Ariko abandi b'abagabo bo bari barabonye abo kubayobora mu bushakashatsi na mbere yuko bajya kwiga mu Budage. Ngeze kuri kaminuza, ndangije kwiga isomo ry'ururimi, nibwo natangiye gushaka uwo kunyobora mu bushakashatsi aho kuri Technical University of Berlin. Umwe arambwira ngo imibare ikomerera cyane abagore, no ku Badagekazi hano b'abazungu biba bigoye cyane, noneho ku biraburakazi bikaba ibindi... Njya ku wa kabiri, njya ku wa gatatu noneho ndavuga nti 'uyu natemera kunyobora mu bushakashatsi, ndatekereza ko mpita nitahira'. Kuko mbere yo kujya mu Budage, nari naremerewe kwiga kuri Kaminuza ya Cornell University muri Amerika ndetse nari naremerewe n'umwanya wo kwiga kuri kaminuza yo muri Canada. Ku itariki ya 6/12/2019, Prof. Masanja yahawe igihembo cya 'Sage Prize' n'ikigo Next Einstein Forum, ku ruhare yagize mu guteza imbere imibare n'amasomo ya siyansi n'ikoranabuhanga muri Afurika Ariko nari nafashe icyemezo cyo kujya kwiga mu Budage kuko umugabo wanjye na we yari amaze umwaka umwe n'igice na we ariho agiye kwiga. Nuko njya kuri uwo wa gatatu kuko hari abambwiraga bati 'tujya tubona hari n'abirabura, abirabura b'abagabo, ayobora', nuko mujyaho, ariko anshyiraho amananiza menshi cyane, bituma niyemeza kujya nuzuza ijana ku ijana. Ayo mananiza harimo nk'ibyo yabanje kunsaba gukora by'amasomo na mbere yuko ntangira ibijyanye n'impamyabumenyi y'ikirenga. Nuko ndangije ayo masomo y'ibanze, mbitangariza ikoraniro [nkora presentation], bankomera amashyi menshi cyane. Batangira kuvuga bati 'ariko ababyeyi bawe bagomba kuba ari abakire, mu gihugu cy'iwanyu mushobora kuba mutari abakene n'ibindi'. Ariko mbabwira ko atari uko bimeze. Ariko kubera ibyo nanyuzemo, naribwiye nti 'ninsubira iwacu, nzakora kuburyo umugore cyangwa umukobwa atabuzwa gukora icyo ashaka gukora mu masomo, mu kazi, kubera ko gusa ari umugore'. Rero kuba ndi umugore wa mbere wageze ku mpamyabumenyi y'ikirenga [mu mibare] muri ako karere [k'Afurika yo munsi y'ubutayu bwa Sahara havuyemo Afurika y'Epfo], ntabwo ari ikintu gikomeye. Igikomeye ni ni iki nakoze kugira ngo abandi bakobwa n'abandi bagore babe bari mu rwego rw'amasomo y'ubumenyi bwa siyansi, ikoranabuhanga, imibare, cyangwa ayandi masomo ayo ari yo yose bashaka kwiga, batitaye ku byo babwirwa byo kubaca intege ariko bidashingiye ku kuri? Ni iki wakoze rero muri urwo rwego rwo gufasha abandi bagore n'abakobwa? Prof. Masanja: Nakoze byinshi cyane. Hari gahunda twatangije muri Tanzania, ndetse yewe no mu Rwanda, twagiye tubera icyitegererezo abanyeshuri atari gusa muri Tanzania ahubwo no ku mugabane w'Afurika. Ndetse nshobora no kukubwira ko ubu ikibazo cyo guha abakobwa ibikoresho by'isuku bifashisha bari mu mihango, ni jye muntu mu mwaka wa 1999 wibukije ko gikomeye kuko nabonaga ko hari abanyeshuri benshi b'abakobwa basiba kuza ku ishuri. Twari dufite gahunda yitwa 'uburezi bw'abakobwa muri siyansi n'imibare muri Afurika', wari umushinga ukorera mu bihugu 12 byo munsi y'ubutayu bwa Sahara birimo na Tanzania, kandi ni jye wari umuhuzabikorwa w'uwo mushinga muri Tanzania. Nabonye rero ko hari ugusiba ishuri cyane kw'abakobwa, kandi ibi by'umwihariko byagiraga ingaruka ku masomo ya siyansi. Imibare ni isomo risaba ko ufata icyabanje kugira ngo ushobore kumva igikurikiyeho. Uko ukomeza kugira ibigucika, uribura. Ni cyo kimwe n'ubutabire [Chimie/Chemistry], iyo igerageza [chemical reaction/experiment] ryo muri 'laboratoire' rigucitse, nabwo uribura. Rero uko buri minsi 28 cyangwa 30 yashiraga, bakomezaga gusiba, nkomeza rero kubigenzura nsanga ahanini barasibaga ishuri kuko bagiye mu mihango. Imyaka 10 nyuma yaho [mu 2009], nibwo nibura ibihugu byinshi byabonye koko icyo ari ikibazo. Ariko nitwe twabitangije. Ariko hari n'imishinga myinshi twakoze, binyuze mu ishyirahamwe ry'abanyamibare muri Afurika, haba no mu ishyirahamwe ry'abanyamibare muri Tanzania, ndetse no mu Rwanda ahubwo ho nahatangije n'uburyo bwo kwiga PhD ariko bworohereza abafite izindi nshingano b'abagore [flexible PhD programme]. Ibi kugira ngo abagore bari bafite ubwoba bwo kwiga PhD kubera ko bari mu rujijo niba basiga abana babo mu rugo bakagenda, bagahitamo kureka kujya kwiga PhD. Twatangije iyo gahunda rero kandi ubu byongereye umubare munini w'abagore bafite PhD kuri Kaminuza y'u Rwanda. Ubwira iki abana b'abakobwa bifuza kugera ikirenge mu cyawe? Prof. Masanja: Ooh, tubabwira ibintu byinshi. Ko icya mbere, ko bagomba kuvana mu mitekerereze yabo ko badashoboye kwiga imibare. Icyo ni cyo kintu cya mbere kuko akenshi babwirwa ko badashoboye siyansi. Kuko byinshi ni byo baba barishyizemo mu bwonko bwabo, mu bwonko bwabo bigashyirwamo n'ababyeyi babo, abo bahura nabo aho batuye, babikuye mu bitabo basoma, mu ishuri bigamo n'ibindi banyuramo mu buzima, byose bibabwira ko ibyo bintu atari bo byagenewe. Iyo rero bikuyemo iyo mitekerereze, iyo iba ari intambwe ikomeye cyane. Icyo ni icya mbere. Icya kabiri, hari ibindi byuko ngo kuko ndi umugore, akazi kanjye ka mbere na mbere ni ukurongorwa, kubyara no kwita ku muryango wanjye. Ahubwo icyo abakobwa bakwiye kumenya ni uko ibyo byose babikora neza kurushaho mu gihe baba bafite akazi bizeye gatekanye ndetse bumva n'ibyo kwita kuri uwo muryango binyuze muri siyansi n'ikoranabuhanga n'ibindi n'ibindi. Kurongorwa, kubyara, kwita ku muryango, rwose ntibikwiye kubazitira ngo bibabuze kwiga amasomo ya siyansi n'imibare.