Lighting a Fire: 31 Inspiring Stories of Eminent Tanzania Scientists

Edited by Keto E. Mshigeni and Ludovick D. B. Kinabo. A collection of thirty-one articles about the roads travelled by Tanzanian men and women who, largely starting from poverty, have succeeded in becoming distinguished scientists in different disciplines. As Professor Mshigeni observes in the introduction, the indigenous African approach to educating the youth was through sharing knowledge of customs and traditions: medicinal plants, philosophy and ethics encapsulated in stories, riddles, and proverbs. Each generation passed on to the next its collective knowledge and memory, and society moved forward. The scientists’ stories assimilate many of these African traditions. Each aims, in the way of African stories, to educate and inspire present and future generations to persevere in adversity, to be focused, and to work hard. Young African aspiring scientists need role models, and here are thirty-one of them, women and men.