Our students might come from homes with no electricity or running water, but their exposure to and mastery of technology still rivals their peers worldwide. During lockdown, the girls created more than 1,200 face shields using a 3D printer at an astounding pace of about 90 shields per day! Once they reached their goal, the local team distributed these shields to doctors, nurses and other medical workers at more than 60 hospitals and health centers in the Lubumbashi region. We also equipped the Faculty of Science at University of Lubumbashi.
Covid19drc, an initiative started by board member and renowned mathematician Johnathan Mboyo Esole, Malaika’s IT teacher, Donat, other staff and local experts, started this initiative and continue to support the project. Donat has supervised the girls in their work, while Headmaster Sylvain stepped in to aid with distribution.
Part of Malaika’s holistic approach includes real-life application of classroom lessons. These girls took their STEM education to the next level, as they filled a real role and actively worked to address the pandemic locally. It’s quite special that real doctors will using tools made by our students to protect themselves from COVID-19. We’re so proud and cannot wait to see what feats they accomplish next!
