African Women in Chemistry

If perseverance, bravery, determination and resilience had one thing in common, it would be Marie Maïssai. Originally from the Far North region of Cameroon, Marie Maïssai lost her father when she was in primary school. She had to reinvent herself to continue her primary education, thanks to her small corn business. She continued her studies until the 5th grade, when she was in form 2 in high school she was forced by tradition to marry a man with whom she would have two children. This situation forced her to leave school for a while. Then she went back later to school because she’s passionate about school and especially about scientific subjects like chemistry. This coming back was just as painful as it had been at the start of her school career, as she continued to run her small corn business and now has to look after her two children and her studies on her own. This bravery was rewarded with her baccalaureate and a degree in chemistry. In Master 1, she obtained the position of temporary teacher in a high school. This enabled her to finance her Master’s research in organic chemistry and look after her children. On October 27, 2023, she was awarded first-class honors for her brilliant Master’s research dissertation on the contribution to the phytochemical study and evaluation of the antibacterial activity of Carissa édulis trunk bark.

She would like to continue her studies and finally become a Doctor of Organic Chemistry. She advises young girls to be responsible, not to like easy success, but to care about their future.