Some of you may have seen the short reel @DNAforAfrica of Death Investigator, Willie Fouche whose incredible story we captured this week as part of #HIDS2023. Willie's positivity, despite the harrowing nature of his job, is infectious. At the same time, hearing Gloria Matati's account of how she sought justice for her 21 year old daughter who was raped and murdered in 2016, left me shaken. Not to mention that the shoot took place in a mortuary, which brought back memories of my own father's murder which was never solved. The range of emotions I experienced in that one day reminded me of two distinctly opposite emails I recently received in respect of the work we do: one claimed, "Love your work but doesn’t seem there is enough of a feel good element to it.", and the other said, "Love your work but I am uncomfortable with your references to 'positivity' ". There is an element of truth in each of those opinions: as forensic experts, we are privy to both the best and worst of human nature and find ourselves somewhere in the middle. I choose to remain positive because I see first hand the triumph of human nature through adversity and am continuously humbled by survivors of violent crimes and human rights violations, doing incredible work to combat these scourges on humanity. I also meet forensic experts who are not only leaders in their field but are prepared to work in this space on a daily basis and still, like Willie, remain positive and passionate about their work. Equally, I am deeply disturbed by the nature of the crimes and human rights transgressions I come across in my work, which is why I remain so committed to motivate for policies, laws and a robust justice system to redress these violations. This edition is dedicated to the survivors, the forensic experts, the crusaders and the policy makers working in a space that yes, doesn’t always feel that good, but who remain positive in their belief to effect change. Thank you. I hope you enjoy this week's #FF where you will read more inspiring stories, get the scoop on the 'Queen of Crime', discover further opportunities to submit your work as well as learn from others, and as promised, garner some invaluable pointers by Prof. Budowle on the ‘how to’ get publishing. Yours in forensics, Vanessa |
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PODCAST: THE QUEEN OF CRIME TELLS HER STORY |
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If you are a fan of True Crime South Africa (who isn't?), we have dropped the mic on the Queen of Crime, Nicole Engelbrecht, who regales us with seemingly unbelievable, yet true stories of crime and murder, including some solved with DNA. In a 'twist' to the story, Vanessa turns the mic on Nicole where they discuss what goes on behind the scenes of Nicole's popular podcasts, how she manages to counter the psychological impact of describing these horrific crimes and we get a glimpse into what's next on her podcast platform, to name a few. Don't miss this bonus episode! LISTEN HERE |
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ABSTRACT SUBMISSION - When you heed the call |
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In our first edition of #FF we put out a call to encourage more forensic experts in Africa to submit their research for publication and to present their work at international events. This exposure not only helps place Africa on the forensic map but showcases our work and creates further opportunities for collaboration and funding. We were thrilled to hear that our Kenyan DNA Crusader, Victor Omondi, motivated by this call to action, took the plunge and submitted his abstract to the 10th ASFM Conference in Kigali, Rwanda which has just been accepted. Victor's message (left) is proof that only when when we step in, can we be counted. Victor shares more about the experience below and we hope his example will inspire more of you to follow suit. ps. if you can help Victor get to the Kigali event to present his work, please EMAIL US! |
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THREESIS Academic Challenge - Calling for African submissions |
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Can you summarize your research in just three minutes? The 2023 Threesis Academic Challenge is open to forensic science students and those working in the forensic DNA field for under 3 years, and is a great opportunity to showcase and promote your work to a wider audience. FIND OUT MORE HERE |
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FIU 12TH ANNUAL FORENSIC SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM |
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PROF. BRUCE BUDOWLESHARES MORE TIPS ON THE 'HOW TO' GET PUBLISHED |
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"Writing a scientific paper is an achievement and is essential to progressing science and developing one’s career. But quality scientific writing, a goal all scientists should strive to achieve, is demanding and requires commitment. However, most scientists, even though they have read many papers, have little or no training in writing scientific papers. Thus, the endeavour can be quite challenging, especially to those scientists who are at the beginning of their careers..." ~ Prof Bruce Budowle |
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To follow up on the last article written by our number one supporter and mentor, Prof. Bruce Budowle on the 'why' you should publish, this week the Prof. has written another gem for us with simple tips on the 'how' to hone your skills in publishing. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to learn from one of the most published forensic scientists in the world! CATCH THE "HOW TO" HERE |
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SAVE THE DATE HAS CHANGED to 12 - 15 JUNE 2023 |
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Previously we asked you to Save the Date of June 6 - 9, 2023 for our annual Forensic DNAforAfrica Symposium to be held in Cape Town, South Africa. As we don't want you to lose the opportunity to benefit from both our event and the FIU event featured above, we have decided to move the date of our annual meeting to 12-15 June 2023. So please SAVE THE NEW DATE! We met with our event partners ICRC and UNODC this week and can't wait to publish the fantastic provisional program we have put together for you this year, which we will be sharing with you soon. For now, block your diaries, book your tickets and watch out for further details HERE. |
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#DNACRUSADER OF THE WEEKVictor Omondi, Forensic Scientist, Kenya |
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Our DNA Crusader of the week is Victor Omondi from Kenya. We chatted to him about his recent good news about presenting his work at the ASFM 2023 in Kigali next month. What is the title of your abstract? "The effect of compressed air foam on the detection of ignitable liquid residues on fire debris samples" in the context of collecting DNA evidence and examining crime scenes. What was the submission process like? At first I was adamant and sceptical about applying since I had never done it before. But I found the courage and went for it since I was ambitious to meet my “tribe” - other professionals in the Forensic Medicine field and learn as much as I can and more. The process was very easy: I followed the guidelines on the web page and completed the application. What are the next steps? I am hoping to secure funding to attend the event in person, so that I can learn from leading forensic scientists and network with colleagues from across Africa. [ps. please email us if you can help Victor get to Kigal!, V.] Advice for fellow aspiring scientists: I would like to encourage anyone who wants to submit their work to go ahead and do so. Share the knowledge - you never know what you have done may help in many ways, and even bridge the gap for the next generation to come. As one of my great mentors Prof. Budowle would say: “Publication is the currency of science, it creates a network, and can establish credibility.” For me, that holds a lot of weight. It means my research and work is of importance and that I did it with love of the science." READ MORE ABOUT VICTOR HERE |
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Our mission is #CATCH'y and we invite you to join us and share our work! |
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Together we are DNAforAfrica, and together, we are UNSTOPPABLE! |
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Follow our Journey @DNAforAFRICA | |
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