5000 FOR UGANDA CHALLENGE

Let's make high-quality science possible in the heart of East Africa for the cost of a Saturday night dinner

25 euros to train scientists in Uganda

Sayansi R4D arose with the idea of promoting research for development in Africa. We are currently focused in collaborating in the project in which Marta, Spanish Biologist and tireless traveller, is working in Ishaka, Uganda.

The most immediate thing is to equip a molecular biology and genetics laboratory. She has managed to organize there a course on Drosophila melanogaster, that little fly that has been so crucial in genetics research.

One of the founder members of Sayansi is volunteering in the lab this next July, and if she takes the money with her we will save a lot of money in bank charges (if you think banks are squeezing you, you should see what they do with those that have even less). Moreover, we know that you are looking forward to help and that we all work better when we have a deadline. Thus the dates; thus before June 25th.

WHY 5000?

We have received a donation of 5000 pounds (but we are going to work in euros to make it easier). The donor has told us that if we match the amount, he will double it. For that reason we are asking you, awesome and supportive people, who know that 25 euros go nowhere... or do they? We have done the Maths: 25 euros from 200 caring people can lead us to triplicate the sum that we have now and get 15000 euros to equip the laboratory.

How does it sound? Do you accept the challenge?

WHAT FOR THOSE 15000?

We all have heard the “Don't give them fish, teach them how to fish”. In Sayansi we go further: don't stop at teaching them how to fish, teach why fishing this or the other way, so they look for the best way to fish in their environment. In Uganda we are setting the basis to do high quality research: renowned European researchers are going in July to teach African researchers how to do high impact biomedical research using a cheap tool like the fruit fly. With those 15000 euros we will collaborate in the organization of the course, as well as equip the laboratory to support future research done there, with their hands, with their ideas, by them.

For the course, the priority is minimizing the fee that the students have to pay to attend and buy a projector to make classes more effective. In the laboratory, our priority is a stand-by generator to keep up and running and in good shape all the electric equipments and freezers so some good work can be done.

(we are now translating the summary of the project and you will find a link here soon)

We know that saying “we are buying a generator” doesn't sound all too glamorous, but the study of the ground conditions led us to conclude that the priority is to facilitate that scientists trained in Africa can develop their work in Africa. Big agencies are doing a great job funding researches that can bring solutions to some of the big problems of Africa, but the motivated African researchers continue doing their job in difficult conditions, fighting against the lack of infrastructures, coping with a pathetic power network in the case of Uganda.

We want to fill that gap: the on-ground support to the local scientists, specially the support to the training of new scientists. We want to put the money in the most basic things so they can look for the solutions to the problems that they consider a priority. Whether it is a vaccine for malaria, diagnostic tools for any of the many neglected tropical infectious diseases, the analysis of the curative activity of traditional medicine or the nutritious value of local food products, everything deserves our support, and we are going to give it to them.

HOW TO DO IT? EASY!

You can e-mail us to ask for our bank account number (Spanish bank) to which you can wire a transfer and we also have a PayPal button (top-right) so you can make a donation using your card if it's easier and you don't mind the card charges. If you send us an e-mail to sayansi.ixd@gmail.com with your information after you have made the transfer, we will send you a certificate of your donation to a non-for-profit. Writing “5000 for Uganda your name” we will know which amount you have transferred. We will send you an acknowledgement of receipt so that you can deduct taxes, frame it or keep it as a reminder that you are a great chap that can let some coins go away for those who have even less than you.

An that's all, folks. Just a big THANK YOU from Sayansi R4D and Marta, our correspondent in the area.