The Department of Chemistry at DUCE, in collaboration with the UDSM Chemistry Department and the Tanzania Chemical Society (TCS), organized the 7^th Chemistry Festival at DUCE on Saturday, March 9th, 2024.

When giving a brief welcoming note, the Dean, Faculty of Science, Dr. David Kacholi said Chemistry Festivals in Tanzania are science outreach programs designed to help school children appreciate the application of Chemistry in their daily lives. He highlighted that activities and experiments demonstrated at the festival can be recreated at home using household materials.

Speaking to participants, the Temeke Education Officer, Ms. Veronica Lyanga, congratulated the Chemistry Departments and the Tanzania Chemical Society (TCS) for initiating the festival. She also commended the American Chemical Society for their generous sponsorship.

She stated, "As the Temeke Municipality, we fully support these festivals and will continue to provide cooperation since beneficiaries are the young group of Tanzanians. I would like to thank the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) for agreeing to host this festival and for supporting in various ways."

Ms. Lyanga emphasized that participation in the festival ignites students’ enthusiasm to study science subjects including Chemistry. She urged all participants to be ambassadors in encouraging children and students to prioritize science subjects.

This year’s festival with a slogan ‘Chemistry is everything’, involved students from neighbouring secondary and primary schools from Temeke Municipality, including Chang’ombe, Jitegemee, Kibasila, and Yemen.

During the festival, chemistry experts, teachers, and students had an opportunity to engage in hands-on experiment and gain insights into the importance of Chemistry in everyday life. Furthermore, it was an opportunity for teachers to observe the practicals and acquire more skills on how readily available resources can be used to educate students. These festivals are meant to inspire young students to pursue Chemistry as a subject and as a career in their future.