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AS IT IS
Program Aims to Train South African Girls in Science Fields
The number of women working in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM fields in South Africa has not been very large.
But programs aimed at girls there are beginning to change that. TechnoGirl is one example. Over about ten years, the program has worked to bring 11,000 high-school girls into these areas of study known as the STEM fields.
TechnoGirl began in 2004 through a partnership. UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency, the South Africa Department of Education and Uweso Trust joined their efforts to develop TechnoGirl.
Each year, the program places girls between the ages of 15 and 18 in more than 200 companies in South Africa. The girls must be doing exceptionally well in school to qualify.
After they are chosen, the girls stay at the companies for a three-year-period and receive mentorship from STEM professionals. The mentors also keep in contact with them throughout their university studies.
Smart girls, few opportunities
Raquel Sorota was a student in the program.
She grew up in Johannesburg’s Tembisa township with very little opportunity. She now works as a risk engineer at a top South African insurance company.
Sorota was chosen for the program in 2009. Now, at age 24, she says it has changed her life.
“So I think a lot of what I took from the program was how it exposed me to the world of engineering. So I think for the longest time I never knew of how broad that world was and that I could have a place within that world, most importantly.”
Staff Sithole leads the company Uweso Trust and is the founder of TechnoGirl.
She said the goal is more than just creating a new crop of workers. It is about changing the world — and who runs it, she said. And, through the program, she aims to support gender equality in South Africa.
Challenging barriers
For high school students Gugulethu Zungu and Queen Makaile, the barriers are more than just lack of opportunity. Both have physical disabilities. They were born with rare genetic defects that have affected their appearance and health. Both were chosen to be in the program this year for their high marks in math and science.
Zungu says the program led her to identify her dream career — forensics — and imagine possibilities beyond it.
“I like investigating and solving mysteries. And it actually makes me believe that, indeed, nothing is impossible. You just have to think out of the box.”
Makaile, who has struggled with hearing and vision problems because of her defect, says she now wants to become a journalist. She wants to show the world that her thoughts matter more than her looks.
Since the program began, more than 5,000 young women have received scholarshipsto colleges and universities.
For these girls, they say nothing will stand in their way.
I’m Alice Bryant.
Anita Powell reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English with additional information from UNICEF. The editor was Mario Ritter.
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Words in This Story
mentorship – n. the guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person in a company or educational institution
insurance – n. an agreement in which a person regularly pays money to a company for the promise to receive a payment if the payer suffers some kind of loss
gender – n. the state of being male or female
defect – n. a problem that causes difficulty or makes someone less able to do normal things
forensics – n. the study or science of discovering why something happened or solving crimes by using scientific methods
think out of the box –expression. to think freely, not bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting structures, rules or practices
scholarship – n. an amount of money that is paid by a school, group or individual to help pay for their education
AS IT IS
Study Examines How Americans View Birds
A pair of whooping cranes walking in the water at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport, Texas.
A new study released by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science aims to define “a range of relationships between people and birds” across the United States.
Those are the words of Justin Schuetz, one of the study’s writers. Schuetz is a biologist and researcher in Bath, Maine. He worked on the study with Alison Johnston, with Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Schuetz and Johnston studied Google searches performed between 2008 and 2017 to learn what Americans think about 621 bird species. The researchers knew where each search came from and the natural territory of each species. They also knew how often a bird species is seen in certain places.
One important question was whether the Google information revealed more interest in each species than one would expect in different places. Another question was how much the interest in each species was limited to the bird’s natural territory or outside of it.
Birds in the “celebrity” category are those that were used in more Google searches than one would expect, given how often they are seen in an area. Birds in this category included whooping cranes, common ravens and peregrine falcons. Schuetz explained that the birds “have a reputation beyond where they live.”
Next came the “friends or enemies” category. This included species that get more Google searches than expected, such as the ruffed grouse and purple martin. But the researchers could not tell whether the searchers’ opinions of these birds were positive or negative.
Then came birds considered “neighbors.” The few Google searches of these birds were limited to where they live, like the wrentit and the Abert’s towhee.
Finally, there were the “strangers,” birds that received little to no Google interest anywhere, including the Hammond’s flycatcher and the Brewer’s sparrow.
The researchers found that bigger birds and those that have colorful feathers and often stop at people’s birdfeeders were generally more popular. Birds that served as mascots for professional sports teams reached celebrity standing.
Some of the results surprised the researchers. Schuetz said that Americans seem to be really interested in owls for reasons the research could not explain.
Jeffrey Gordon is president of the American Birding Association. He called the study “a fascinating framework for trying to understand how people are relating to birds.”
David Ringer is the chief network officer for the National Audubon Society, a non-profit environmental organization. In an email to the AP, he wrote, “It’s great to see how much we know and love some species. “I hope that many bird ‘strangers’ will become ‘friends,’ and ‘neighbors’ will turn into ‘celebrities.’”
I’m Jonathan Evans.
Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
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Words in This Story
fascinating – adj. very interesting or appealing
framework – n. a set of ideas or facts that provide support for something
mascot – n. a person, animal, or object used as a symbol to represent a group such as a sports team and to bring good luck
negative – adj. expressing dislike or disapproval
positive – adj. showing or expressing support, approval, or agreement
reputation – n. the common opinion that people have about someone or something
AS IT IS
San Francisco to Charge for Driving on Lombard Street
Cars wind their way down Lombard Street in San Francisco, April 15, 2019. Thousands of tourists may soon have to pay as much as $10 to drive down the world-famous crooked street if a proposal to establish a toll and reservation system becomes law. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Visitors may soon have to pay as much as $10 to drive down the world-famous Lombard Street in San Francisco, California.
Lombard Street winds down a hill and is often overrun by tourists. It is known as the “most crooked street in the world.”
In an effort to reduce the number of people visiting the street, city and state officials this week announced a bill that would give San Francisco the power to charge a toll. The bill also includes a reservation system for the street.
People who live on Lombard Street say the area feels more like an amusement park and not like a city street. Lombard Street locals have been asking officials for years to do something to reduce the traffic and the number of visitors.
In the summer months, an estimated 6,000 tourists a day visit the 183-meter-long street. Lines of cars wait to drive on the street, which stops traffic in the city’s Russian Hill area.
“The cars really impact the neighborhood because they line up, they back up, they are sitting...” said Greg Brundage. He is president of the Lombard Hill Improvement Association.
San Francisco transportation officials have suggested having visitors make a reservation online and pay $5 for each car. Another plan calls for a $10 fee on weekends and holidays.
The city needs state approval in order to make people pay money to use a public road. City officials would then decide how much the toll would cost and how they would collect it. They would also decide what to do with the money. The new toll system is not expected to be in place until 2020, officials said.
Supervisor Catherine Stefani said the toll would help the city pay to have more traffic control officers and more police in the area. It would go toward paying tourism ambassadors -- who would make sure visitors have a good experience.
Vida Bhatt was visiting San Francisco from Melbourne, Australia. She drove down the crooked street with her family. They later decided to go back and explore the area on foot.
“It’s so beautiful! I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere else in the world,” Bhatt said.
Bhatt said she would happily pay a toll to have the experience of driving down Lombard Street.
“This is one of the top attractions in San Francisco and I’m coming from so far in the world, I would pay and make sure I got to see it,” she said.
Locals built the tight turns of Lombard Street in 1922, because it was otherwise too steep for cars to go up at the time. Over time, neighbors added beautiful flowers and plants along the street.
Lombard Street became famous through appearing in many movies and commercials.
Greg Brundage has lived on the street for 22 years. He said he is happy the city is finally doing something to limit cars and visitors to the street.
“We’re really excited this day has come,” he said.
I’m Susan Shand.
The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
_________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure
toll – n. a payment for using a bridge or road
reservation – n. to hold something in advance
crooked – adj. not straight
amusement park – n. a park with rides for children
attraction – n. a thing people want to see
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