At PACS e-Lab, we are dedicated to addressing the fundamental needs of Africans in fostering an appreciation for astronomy. While our cutting-edge projects, rooted in citizen science, have garnered appreciation from our African team, a significant challenge lies in ensuring their sustained engagement. Many team members actively contribute to projects like asteroid searches, making valuable discoveries. However, a disconnect arises when they question the impact of their contributions, especially when they haven’t personally witnessed the outcomes or experienced tangible benefits, such as having an asteroid named after them at the moment.

 

Recognizing this concern, PACS e-Lab, being an African-led platform with a global network, is committed to ensuring that participants derive tangible achievements from their involvement. To address this, we have introduced various programs, including research writing and publication, aimed at enhancing the academic and professional futures of our team members. Additionally, we provide telescopes to our teams and are planning future collaborations with astronomy blogs, offering opportunities for participants to contribute and earn modest income.

 

By equipping our teams with telescopes for community outreach, encouraging research paper writing, facilitating blog contributions, providing avenues for financial rewards, and more, we aim to transform their participation into a meaningful and rewarding experience. We believe that through these initiatives, our team members will not only contribute to our projects but also find personal fulfillment and value in their involvement, dispelling any doubts about the significance of their efforts.

 

These efforts align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, 9, 10, 16 and 17: Quality Education, Gender Inequality, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequality, Building strong institutions, and
Partnerships for the Goals.

 

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