Prime
Maths stars troubled journey to Argentina
Carrying Uganda’s flag. The team that represented the country in this years International Mathematics Olympiad pose for a photo in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Courtesy Photo
Mathematics student Maria Nyamukuru from St. Mary’s Namagunga is grateful after finally making it to the 2012 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in Argentina.
IMO is the world championship mathematics competition for high school students and it is held annually in a different country.
Speaking from the Argentine coastal city of Mar Del Plata, where the event has been running since July 4 and ends today, Nyamukuru paid tribute to businessman Frank Gashumba who paid for her return air ticket plus upkeep money.
“He is a great, generous man,” said the 19-year-old, who also scored 14 points at A-Level doing PCM last year. “I walked to him in the last week and he made sure I flew out the next day. I had lost hope after going to several public offices and they ignored me.”
Nyamukuru says that she had also been to the President’s office, office of the Prime Minister and the parliament but her contact people in the respective offices went silent on her as the event drew closer.
The Ugandan State minister for education, John Chrysostom Muyingo met the six representatives before they departed for Argentina and he regretted his office not being able to finance their trip.
He said that the exercise had not been captured in his ministry’s budget but promised to make good in next year’s budget. “The Ugandan government says that it supports science students but this has exposed their claim,” said Gashumba.
“We can only pray and hope that the stress these children went through before going doesn’t affect their performance at the event. We could be stressing a would-be nation’s top scientist.”
As it is said that mathematics is the main driving force behind scientific discoveries, minister Muyingo has also urged students and the teachers to put more emphasis on mathematics to ensure national development. Uganda is among only six African countries and the only East African start taking part at the 12-day event.
The international competition, the 53rd edition, has attracted the interest of 100 countries across the globe but Nyamukuru has promised success at the event. She is among the six secondary school students selected from a group of 7, 500 in elimination competitions starting at the lowest levels through to the national level where they emerged the best to represent the country at the Olympiad.
The other five in Argentina include Kasozi Derrick of Mengo SS, Helen Okubal Akayo of Mt. St. Marys Namagunga, Emmanuel Kaayabula of Makerere College School, Bhudia Laxmi of Rock High School Tororo and Timothy Ahumuza from Kings College Budo.
The students were accompanied by a leader and a deputy team leader from the Uganda Mathematical Society, who organise the local competitions. Next year’s event will take place in Colombia around the same time.
