Thread by @iamscicomm

To talk about #scicomm in Africa I need to bring it back to me.
I only found out about this field late 2019 in the end of MSc year right here on Twitter= social media.
Similar to many of you in this poll.
1/n

https://twitter.com/iamscicomm/status/1361920656250650624

Despite the recent dev in scientific output from Africa public understanding of science researchers in many parts of the continent remain low. This has been so obvious during this pandemic with mass misinformation flying all over social media
2/n

an opinion piece by Karikarl 2016 links this to the following:
1. Lack of awareness
2. Literacy rates
3. Multiplicity of language(this is so NB!!)
Yesterday I reminded u Africa has 54 countries with different languages. Which can make #scicomm difficult but not impossible.
3/n

All hope is not lost @StellenboschUni in SA offers the first online course in #scicomm in Africa and since '15 they have had close to 200 delegates from across Africa completing the course
🔗
:www0.sun.ac.za/scicom/course/
This is so promising! 🤩
4/n

Now of course studying #scicomm is not the only way to do #scicomm.
Most #AfricansInSTEM opt to do outreach programs as well. There are so many great ones eg.
@STEMiAfrica,

@ScienceSpaza is a program aims to improve science literacy to young people.

The list is so long

5/n

There are others like myself who get creative and do blogs, tutorials podcasts and YouTube channel
(I will talk more about this tomorrow) MAAAN this will be the best part of the week😁
6/n