The Malawi Liverpool Wellcome (MLW) Research Programme, through the Science for All initiative hosted the first-ever MacFarlane Mbewe National Science Quiz at the Bingu International Conference Center on 9^th November 2024 in Lilongwe. The event, which brought together 48 students, aims to inspire young learners in Malawi to nurture an interest in science and proceed to pursue careers in science aligned to national development.

Speaking during the event, Kondwani Jambo, MLW’s Associate Professor of Infection and Immunology, shared that the competition is designed to ignite students’ interest in science.

“This initiative aims to inspire and nurture the next generation of scientists, bridging the gap between scientific research and community engagement to promote science education and empower young minds to drive Malawi’s scientific advancement,” said Jambo.

Jambo further emphasized that this quiz is also the first of its kind in Malawi, incorporating a digital questioning system to encourage innovation.

“Malawi needs these young and innovative minds if we are to develop. This is why we have extended the quizzes to a national platform, when previously we only did it in the southern region. We have also introduced a digital system for questioning to enhance clarity and promote fairness. The students have tablets, on which they use to respond to the questions,” he said.

Associate Professor Kondwani Jambo emphasizes the need to teach science from as early as primary school

One of the participating students, Grace Kachingwe from Providence Secondary School, said the experience is amazing because she is being exposed to the science world.

“This initiative is exposing us to science subjects, and the science world is amazing because the world now depends on science. Science for All has inspired me that a girl child can also take science,” she said.

The Ministry of Education’s Director for Quality Assurance, Golden Msilimba, commended the program, saying it aligns with the ministry’s goal to inspire students.

“We need to provide deep engagement with scientific principles and dispel misconceptions that science is only for the elite. Science is for everyone, and together we can cultivate a nation of innovators and problem solvers,” he stated.

Six secondary schools from across Malawi’s education divisions participated in the quiz, namely Dedza, Loyola, Providence, Nkhatabay, Blantyre, and St. Mary’s Secondary schools. Dedza Secondary School emerged as the winner after scoring  52 points and were awarded a MK2.5 million prize; Providence Secondary School  scooped the second position, scoring 50 points and accorded MK1.5 million. Loyola Jesuit took third place with 40 points, followed by Nkhata Bay Secondary School with 38 points, while St. Mary’s and Blantyre secondary school both took fifth place with 34 points each.

Dedza Secondary School students celebrate their win!

Aside from the school awards, the best performing students also won individual prizes in other categories. Three top-performing Form 4 students have been offered a yearlong paid internship at MLW; and another three outstanding students were gifted laptops, sponsored by Celestial Electronics. In addition to this, a gift hamper of a school bag and school materials was given to all the participating students present.

Science for All currently has clubs in 20 secondary schools and in four universities. The vision is to further expand reach of the clubs to more schools across all regions in Malawi.

This inaugural MacFarlene Mbewe National Science Quiz has been named in honor of the late MacFarlene Mbewe, a Science for All ambassador who was very passionate about bridging the science divide amongst Malawi’s youth. Mbewe suddenly passed away in 2023, and this is an honor to his work.

MLW extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Mbewe Family, Ministry of Education and all participating schools, NICO Group, Celestial Electronics and the media fraternity, for making this event a success.