Célsia’s Journey in Fisheries Engineering and Positive Impact

Célsia Domingos Mango Sá, a Bissau-Guinean national and Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) Scholar is a final-year student pursuing a degree in Fisheries Engineering at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, since 2019. Her interests lie in socio-environmental oceanography, aquatic ecosystem monitoring, and climate change. A passionate enthusiast of cephalopods, particularly octopuses, she admires their intelligence and playfulness. Studying in Brazil has been a unique and memorable experience for Célsia. She appreciates the rich culture and finds commonalities with her home country.

The quality of education and support programs further enhances her academic journey. Studying Fisheries Engineering goes beyond acquiring a degree; it aligns with Célsia’s deep-rooted passion for her homeland. She envisions contributing positively to fisheries resource management, planning, and sector organization in the future, a testament to her commitment. In 2022, Mango Sá conducted her scientific initiation experiment and actively participated in key conferences, crucial for her professional growth. As she anticipates graduating this year, Célsia plans to apply for a master’s scholarship in her aforementioned areas of interest.

Célsia feels a sense of duty to contribute and give back to her community with the knowledge she’s gained throughout her academic journey. Also, she believes in Ubuntu’s African philosophy, which means “I am because we are.” She firmly believes that education can transform any society, and she has this heartfelt desire, her kokorozashi, to empower her country’s youth through technical schools, fostering positive change. She envisions a better world through quality education and aims to contribute so that her 6-year-old nephew, Tcherno, can experience this world of technical education shortly.