Four girls who jumped into the deep sea, and loved it

They are young and beautiful. But they are clear-headed about what they want to be known for: their work as scientists in a male-dominated profession, not their pretty faces.

It is fascinating watching them go about their research at a State agency that looks after Kenya’s fishing resources.

SCIENTISTS

Amina Makori, Josephine Njeru, Sharon Keter and Fatma Manyenze are young scientists who have ventured into oceanographic research with a broader mission to change the narrative about women and science.

The Kenya Marine Fisheries and Research Institute (KMFRI) provides the perfect platform for these ambitious women who say they love spending more time in water than on land.

The 40-year-old organisation headquartered in Mombasa is concerned about the environment around fish, including various data and a range of scientific assignments.

Some of these women recently participated in different legs of the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition aboard a state-of-the-art research vessel, SA Aghullas II, the only one of its kind in Africa.

“Africa is rising,” Prof James Njiru, the KMFRI director, says about the young crop of female scientists.

MARINE RESEARCHERS

The women, who are early-career marine researchers, took part in different cruises between June 2017 and July 2018, where they interacted with; and learnt from a variety of seasoned scientists in physical, biological and chemical oceanography.

“The Kenyan woman refuses to be left behind. Her journey is exemplified by the five young, ambitious, wide-eyed female marine scientists. Kenya is being led by her ‘elder sister’ South Africa, holding her hand and leading her through the turbulent waters of oceanographic research,” says Prof Njiru.

We bring you profiles of four of the young scientists.

SHARON KETER

At only 24, Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology and Fisheries from Pwani University, having graduated in 2017.

The young oceanographer is passionate about the ocean and is set to begin her Master’s studies in fisheries at Pwani University.

She has previously interned at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WSC).

“I noted that the fisheries industry has not yet been exploited in our country and that is why I decided to do the course. It also seemed to be male-dominated and I want to prove that girls can also do it,” says Sharon.

She deals with the study of fish larvae diversity, distribution and characteristics in the Indian Ocean.

FATMA MANYENZE

Fatma, 30, is a Master’s student at Pwani University, studying Fisheries Management. She got her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Nairobi. She is passionate about the ocean.

“I would like to later get a doctorate in marine and fisheries abroad. I want a new experience outside of the country, that way I will be more exposed and later come back home to make a difference in the marine industry,” she told Lifestyle.

AMINA MAKORI

Amina rose against all odds to be among the few young female scientists in the maritime field in Kenya, armed with just a big vision: to get her research projects published in some of the world’s famous journals.

The 28-year-old marine geologist says her love for geography and science in her early schooling years contributed to her choosing her current career.

“This job fits me perfectly,” Amina says during an interview with Lifestyle at the KMFRI headquarters in Mombasa.

Her decision to study geology at the University of Nairobi was unplanned as she had always aspired to pursue civil engineering.

Unfortunately, her scores were a little shy of the cut-off points for engineering, and that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“I was comfortable with doing geology instead. I love facts and that is what science is all about. I was interested in the way science explained things and I wanted to do more research,” says the Pangani Girls High School alumna.

MARINE GEOLOGY

She took marine geology as a unit in her final year, with only two girls in the class. She emerged top of her peers in the class of 2014 and her achievement made her more marketable in the little-known field by then.

She interned and later worked as a graduate trainee at African Marigold, a gold mining company.

Later, she was employed by National Oil. In 2017, Lady Luck knocked on her door and she landed her dream job at KMFRI headquarters.

“I heard they were looking for a marine geologist and I jumped on the opportunity. It was my first time to visit Mombasa, the first time to see the ocean. I was a little bit scared and unsure whether I was going to last long, only to later fall in love with my job,” she said.

She was then aged only 25. She says that experience made her realise and follow her dream, and now she is among the few women marine geologists in the country.

ASSIGNMENTS

She was later given many assignments involving marine research, majorly in the Indian Ocean, including an expedition on RV Mtafiti, a Kenyan marine research vessel.

The best part of her job, she says, is the ship cruises in the Indian Ocean. The expedition involves international oceanographers in the deepest and farthest parts of the ocean.

The cruises have given her opportunities to cruise in other world-class marine research vessels, including Russian RV Yuzhmorgeologiya, a world-class scientific fully-fledged cruise for three months in the Pacific Ocean that ended earlier this year.

“I would work for 24 hours while on board and never felt tired at all. All these experiences have made me believe that I was meant to be a marine scientist. I enjoy it,” she says.

She adds that her exposure to other much experienced scientists has improved her skills and widened her knowledge.

The young scientist is passionate about exploring rocks and minerals in the sea, a field she says is yet to be explored yet. Discovering these minerals will help Kenya create jobs and boost its economy, she says.

MINERALS

“Our marine territory has a lot of potential, especially in minerals. Just the way we have rocks on land, so do we in the deep sea. If only we had available resources, then we would exploit them and be a rich country,” she says.

Interestingly, not even her parents, who are teachers, understand the nature of her job. But she says they still support her.

“It involves exploiting the rocks on the ocean floor. Observing sediments in the ocean that have undergone erosion and deposited millions of years ago to form minerals. By studying the rocks, they record all that happened and through carbon dating you can even know when a particular earthquake occurred,” she said.

Amina says technology has made a great impact in their field of research. Waterproof cameras and other robotic gadgets, for instance, are placed in the deep waters to detect the sound of fish or any notable characteristics in the ocean.

Amina’s days at work vary. There are days when she will be in the field doing research. On some days, she is in her office while in others, she will be doing presentations on her findings or discussing her proposals in meetings.

SAFE

She says that although she is in a working environment she considered safe, she has faced challenges, just like any other woman in the male-dominated industry. To rise above the stereotyping, she says, she endeavours to execute her roles as a human being who can do anything.

“It takes a lot of effort because you have to struggle to prove yourself. You do not definitely want to look like a failure even if it is a mistake made. It is my greatest fear,” she says.

She advises other girls to be curious and work towards attaining their dreams.

After a busy day at work, Amina, a fitness enthusiast, spends time at the gym. She also likes cooking, travelling and spending time with her friends.

“It is a misconception that female scientists are too serious and the career does not allow us to have a social life. That is a total lie. I have fun most of the time when I am free. I also apply make-up and make sure I look great,” she says.

SCIENCE DOCUMENTARIES

She also watches a lot of science documentaries which she says are vital, especially in research.

Her role model is Amon Kimeli, a marine geologist and a research officer in oceanography. She also dreams of working alongside Elizabeth Marami, Kenya’s first female marine pilot.

“You have to look up to people you see yourself in,” she said.

Her dream is to discover and start the exploration of cobalt in the ocean, which is currently an important mineral used to make phones.

“Kenya is more of marine than a terrestrial country and we should invest more in the ocean. From the few excursions that I have been to, it proves that we have enough resources in the ocean that we can exploit,” she said.

JOSEPHINE NJERU

A marine microbiologist and biotechnologist, Josephine’s foray into science can be attributed to her genes since she was born in a family of science enthusiasts.

Her mother is a radiologist and her father is a physicist. That is not all. Josephine has three other siblings who also work as scientists in various fields. That is why she thinks genes have something to do with the career choice.

Having blended in the industry with ease, she says she is happy working as a marine microbiologist and biotechnologist, doing plant research at KMFRI.

While few have managed to succeed in this field, Josephine joined a list of the few women who have made a name for themselves in marine research.

Despite the various challenges and misconceptions that come with women in science and technical fields, the 29-year-old has kept the fire burning.

BIOLOGY LESSONS

Josephine’s ready smile quickly thaws away the misconception that a scientist should always be serious.

Born and raised in Nairobi, the Maryhill Girls School alumna enjoyed biology lessons and says she could easily relate with any process described by the teacher in class.

“We would be taught things like how digestion works and it was very easy because I would imagine all that whenever I was eating,” she explains.

She studied microbiology at the University of Eldoret and, despite performing very well, she still had to wait for four years between 2014 when she graduated to 2017 when she landed her dream job.

During the wait, she took part in various activities like being an attendant at a chemist, product marketing, selling computers, working with a cow breeder in Eldoret town, and interning at Kenya Forest Research Institute.

FIRST CLASS HONOURS

“It’s funny because I expected to get a job immediately with my first class honours. When that failed, I even thought of doing a postgraduate diploma in teaching just to get a teaching job quickly. At some point, all of us wanted to be pilots, right?” she asks.

She would later apply for a job and went through a successful interview to be employed as a marine microbiologist and biotechnologist at KMFRI.

“My job majorly deals with products of marine science: Identifying marine organisms, getting their compounds and checking whether these elements can form useful components that can be used to make medical drugs,” she explains.

She is also involved in different critical board meetings where issues regarding ocean research are discussed.

Besides the complex description of her work, she says, she totally enjoys all the research that she engages in.

Her commitment has made her be part of world class excursions in the Indian Ocean.

In 2018, she was part of a group of international marine scientists who took part in the RV SA Agulhas, a South African scientific marine research vessel that cruised the extended and deep parts of the Indian Ocean. She has also been aboard RV Mtafiti, Kenya’s marine research vessel.

PROFESSIONALS

“I learnt a lot from working alongside international and experienced professionals. I realised that the ocean has so many resources that need to be sustainably explored,” she says.

Josephine is also an environmental conservationist and a strong believer in a sustainable blue economy. She advocates for marine conservation with less plastic waste being deposited in the ocean.

“The blue economy concept is the new frontier and the government should currently be looking forward to equip researchers with funds that will make them discover interesting things that will help bring solutions to the country’s challenges. Unless we have that, then it will be very difficult to exploit. We already have the skills. All we need are the resources,” she says.

“Everything found in the ocean plays an important role. People are nowadays building on the sea shores while destroying coral reefs. With the rising sea levels, it is better if people get aware of climate change as soon as possible,” she added.

Despite enjoying her work, Josephine faces challenges, being in a male-dominated industry.

CHALLENGE

“It is annoying when someone thinks that since you are a woman you cannot do certain things, like lifting something heavy,” she explained.

Being young in the field also poses a challenge.

“One needs to always be cautious with their ideas or the decisions made. You may find that sometimes your opinion counts less just because you look young. A person may look at you like you are being too ambitious.

Therefore, you have to find a way of doing things in a subtle way just not to cause a lot of attention,” she explains, wishing that people would just take people for who they are regardless of their age or gender.

Nevertheless, Josephine, whose secret role model is Dr Nina Wambiji, a senior marine scientist, is planning to enrol for a Master’s degree and specialise in marine biotechnology and later do a PhD on the same subject before she turns 35.

When not working, Josephine concentrates on her social life where she enjoys sleeping, spending time with friends and watching movies.

EDUCATION

She advices the education sector to put more emphasis, not just on the terrestrial part of the country, but also on marine studies in class. This includes setting up of a marine research and training centre.

“This will change people’s perception of the ocean, be aware of placed policies and encourage them to be more responsible to keep them safe,” says Josephine.

In the near future, she looks forward to cruise in more ships and discover unexploited treasures in the oceans.

“Marine science is really fun: Visiting countries, beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It is a whole new experience that every person needs,” she says.

CAREERS

She adds that part of her job requirements is to supervise students on attachment, an opportunity she uses not just to look at what they are doing but also to talk them on how serious they should take their careers.

“Mentorship in Kenya is rare. Personally, I did not get any inspiration then that could help me grow. Therefore, I would like to encourage every girl that being in Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is possible,” says Josephine.

Back home, the girls are already passing on the knowledge and skills they learnt, making their mark in the history of Marine Science in Africa, changing the tides in this field.