Having spent the majority of the previous year (2022) analysing samples in the lab, Mary Chibwe a PhD AWARMN scholar at the Institute for Water Research (IWR) at Rhodes University was looking forward to an interesting year of analysing data and writing up her thesis. She has spent the year 2023 writing and in the process learning a lot of new things and developing new skills. Mary said;
“2022 was very interesting for me. I spent numerous hours in the lab and would often leave the lab late in the night. I would spend a few more hours in my office at the Institute for Water Research and work on some manuscripts. I thought being away from my favourite space in the lab (Workstation number 4) would be less stressful but Tjo! sitting and writing up my thesis proved to be more stressful”. (“Tjo” is a South African slang term for expressing shock).

For Mary, the year 2023 began on a high note as she had to present some of her research findings at the UNESCO-IWRA online conference in January 2023. After presenting on the topic "Antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter as an emerging pollutant in the Swartkops River, Eastern Cape South Africa”, Mary’s presentation was among the few presentations selected for contributing a chapter in a book by UNESCO.

Mary continued the rest of the academic year, analysing results and writing her thesis. To quench her passion for continuous professional development, she attended the Social Learning and Value Creation Evaluation School at the Environmental Learning Centre, Rhodes University in February 2023. Through the ARUA, she was privileged to attend a course on Portable Molecular Diagnostics for On-site Microbial Water Quality Monitoring in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March 2023. This course was organised by the University of Newcastle.

The academic journey was proving to be thrilling and interesting for Mary as she continued to spend hours reading and writing and “making sense of the results from “work station 4” in the lab and fieldwork from 2021. To shake off the academic stress and become a better storyteller, she attended a training a Digital Storytelling, in March 2023 at Rhodes University Community Engagement Department.

Then came winter, the nights were long and cold for everyone but colder and shorter for a PhD scholar. Time was ticking and she had to jiggle between writing the thesis and responding to the reviewer’s comments on her manuscripts. The long winter nights paid off because Mary ended the year with two publications and two others in the final stages of the review process. Reviewer number 2 is not that bad after all. During winter, Mary also warmed up to other scientists in South Africa and across the globe. She attended the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress (SRI 2023) satellite event in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in June 2023.

“The SRI 2023 was amazing for me, I got to meet and network with senior researchers and fellow early career researchers (ECRs) from different parts of the world. We shared knowledge and exchanged ideas on sustainability research & innovation” said Mary.

In 2023, Mary was also involved in community engagement activities in her local town (Grahamstown). She was involved in cleaning up rivers through a local NGO (River Rescue), writing news articles on water quality issues in the community, and teaching high school learners about Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and its impact on human health.

Mary also presented her research findings at the 60th annual congress of the Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists (SASAqS), in June 2023 in Somerset West, South Africa. In July 2023, she sealed her passion for “One Health” by completing training by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and received certification as a One Health Practitioner. She also presented at the Rhodes University Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) annual conference. The epitome of 2023, was when she presented her final exit seminar at the Institute for Water Research. Mary is currently finalising her thesis and hopes to submit and graduate next year. Mary ends by saying;
“The PhD journey is very stressful. Sometimes people don’t understand your challenges no matter how much you try to explain. All they ask is “When are you graduating?”. Surprisingly I had a very interesting year, full of fun, adventure, and learning. I have acquired so many new skills. I dealt with my PhD stress by getting involved in community activities, hiking, jogging, receiving support from my family and friends, and as a devoted Christian, prayers/church meetings played a huge role in maintaining my sanity”.

Mary and other AWARMN scholars at a conference in Somerset West, South Africa.

Mary on a Saturday morning hike in Makhanda

Mary with other IWR staff and some high school learners from Schools in Grahamstown

Last Modified: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:10:06 SAST