A Mathematical Aso-Oke: Ndebele dolls, vertex-edge graphs, cryptology and number patterns in the lives of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

The Mathematical Aso-Oke: Ndebele dolls, vertex-edge graphs, cryptology and number patterns in the lives of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) stems from work within the 2014 Carnegie African diaspora fellowship project, Culture and women’s stories: A Framework for capacity building in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related fields. This work is a collaboration between an African diaspora and African institutions focused at strengthening women capacities in Africa including, AWARD, Nigerian Women in Agricultural Research for Development (NiWARD), and Centre for gender issues in science and technology (CEGIST), University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). This article is founded on the CEGIST and personal stories of AWARD fellows showcasing their professional endeavors. The NiWARD in collaboration with the African diaspora has developed curricular materials for use in teaching mathematics in a gender-sensitive, multicultural manner that embraces leadership development, community building and entrepreneurship. The process uses the creative and innovative procedure of mathematical story-telling that makes visible significant aspects of the lives of these African female scientists who were chosen as AWARD Fellows. Mathematical storytelling uses mathematics tools, concepts, indigenous knowledge systems and cultural artifacts, viz, sculpturing of Ndebele dolls, to tell stories about people and communities.