[Main] [Newsletter] [Resources] [Calendar]
[Mentor Program] [Officers
& Steering Committee] [Contact]
[Membership] [Education]
Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter - November 2002 |
| Shiku Kinuthia is the name I go by, with Jane being my baptismal name, although I rarely use it. I come from a very large and beautiful continent. Kenya is known to many as the land of wildlife and some of the best safari tours. Its beauty ranges from the Mt. Kenya to the plains of the Maasai Mara. Although I am not from the Maasai tribe, Kikuyu is also a major tribe in my country and that is the tribe to which I belong. So there you have it, I am a Kenyan, Kikuyu 23-year-old woman who is pursuing a career in forensic science. I was raised by both my parents in a family of ten children, where I am the fifth. I'm not a bookworm, but I enjoyed school as a child, especially outdoor studies. After I graduated from primary school, my parents had great plans for me. They wanted to send me to high school in America. After graduation from an American high school, I returned home to Kenya a happy child with my high school diploma. I took a year off of studies and enjoyed my holiday at home while pondering what I should do with the rest of my life. While in America, I had dreamed of film making and Hollywood fame. But after spending a year back home in Kenya, I saw the difficulty of life in Kenya and the suffering of the people. The only thing that was now on my mind was how to offer the help that was so desperately needed in my country. As I was trying to decide how I could help, I also was interested in traveling, so I focused on the United Kingdom. I locked myself in a room and surfed the Internet on a variety of studies I could pursue in the UK. Nothing struck a chord with me, so I decided to take a minor college course to gain entrance into the U.K. and while there I would search for my next plan of action. The University of North London accepted me into two courses, and finally my dream had come true. I had discovered Forensic Science and Film Studies. What was I to do now? For in my hands I held two keys to my life. This was a vital moment for me, but I then thought about women of Kenya in particular. I thought of how women hardly have rights in Kenya, that they are looked upon as if with little or no knowledge, as if they have little to nothing to offer. I thought about those that are brutally ill-treated, raped, and cannot come out with their stories to the public or are silenced by the Government. I thought of myself in one of these situations, my loving mother, sisters, and friends, and with a quick response chose Forensic Science as my course of study. My program has prepared me for a career science in that I have studied Biology modules such as Cell Biology and Molecular Biology. I really enjoyed the biology coursework, but I must say the most difficult coursework has been Physical Chemistry. It was a challenge, but I worked closely with my tutor and passed all of my exams. I look forward to completing my coursework and returning to Kenya to try to start a forensic science lab. The facilities in Kenya might be barely available and the support minimal due to internal struggles and a corrupt government, but my zeal is much too strong. I am determined to finish my education, and return to Kenya. I will seek the support of outside countries such as the US, UK, and Canada, if I must. With the help that we need as Kenyans or Africans, we will make a difference. I hope to establish an institution somewhere in Africa that will be able to maximize the potential forensic science has to change to condition of all of our lives. For me, Forensic Science is all about a way to change crime in Kenya and prevent the spread of deadly disease due to this criminal behavior.
|
Copyright
© 2002 Young Forensic Scientists Forum / American Academy of Forensic Sciences |