The First Chemistry Festival of Cameroon
On Saturday, March 2nd, the University of Dschang in Cameroon held the First Chemistry Festival of Cameroon (FCFC) on the theme: “Appropriation of the role of Chemistry in our daily lives and the development of Cameroon”.
With nearly 500 registered participants, the festival demonstrated how chemistry is practiced in our daily lives, from the transformation of matter to the manufacture of objects.
The majority of the festival participants were students from secondary schools and high schools in the local area. The remainder were Master’s and PhD students, secondary school teachers and parents, and volunteers that helped with the experiments and the event.
Committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists, the CCDC provided financial support for the event, alongside the American Chemical Association (ACS) and the Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang.
Multiple Varied Chemistry Activities
Activities focused on demonstrating how chemistry is practiced in our daily lives, and included:
- Making paper glue from milk, vinegar, and baking soda.
- Investigating the origin of fruit browning, and how to avoid it.
- Determining the acid-base character of a substance using juice from fruits and other plants.
- Looking into the water adsorption capability of the molecule contained in disposable diapers.
- Understanding the effect of using hard and soft water on the ability of a soap to clean stains.
- Investigating the process for obtaining liquid detergents and their uses.
- Studying mollusc shells and their contribution to the environment.
- Understanding how certain molecules can be extracted from plants to treat diseases and how medicines are obtained.
A booth that showed how the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and CCDC software can be used to teach structural chemistry concepts was also present at the festival. More information about the CCDC’s teaching materials can be found on the CCDC website, including free resources that can help students of all ages and levels.
Enthusiasm for Chemistry
The participants of the festival expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the activities organized. Over half indicated that they could reproduce and explain at least one of the experiments that they carried out during the festival, and almost 65% of the participants indicated that they were interested in continuing their studies in chemistry.
The festival was a real success, allowing young students and curious adults to engage with chemistry through fun activities and experiments.
The event provided some interesting, but simple, experiments that teachers and students can reproduce to teach and learn chemistry, and to develop their interest for this subject.
The Potential of Chemistry
Chemistry is a central science since through many subdivisions it is linked to biology, geology, physics, computer science, medicine, and pharmacy. It therefore occupies an important place in the development of a country. However, in Cameroon, due to the lack of equipment, particularly in secondary schools, the teaching of this science is reduced solely to the acquisition of knowledge instead of the development of minds of curiosity, analysis, creativity, common sense, and initiative, and the interest of young people in this discipline is becoming increasingly weak.
The first chemistry festival in Cameroon held at the University of Dschang was a good starting point for the new paradigm. Indeed, it was an occasion to talk about the potential of chemistry to young people, parents, and leaders; and also to train some volunteers for this purpose.
The organizing committee gratefully acknowledges the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC), the American Chemical Association (ACS) and the University of Dschang, for their contribution to the success of this First Chemistry Festival of Cameroon.
Next Steps
- Find out more about the CCDC’s educational material and activities.
- Learn more about the CCDC’s partnerships, awards, sponsorships to PhD studentships and FAIRE grants to help everyone benefit from the world’s comprehensive and up-to-date database of small-molecule organic and metal-organic crystal structures.