Matilda J. Clerk

**Matilda** **Johanna** **Clerk** (2 March 1916 – 27 December 1984) was a medical pioneer and a science educator on the Gold Coast and later in Ghana as well as the second Ghanaian woman to become an orthodox medicine-trained physician.  The first woman in Ghana and West Africa to attend graduate school and earn a postgraduate diploma, Clerk was also the first Ghanaian woman in any field to be awarded an academic merit scholarship for university education abroad. M. J. Clerk was the fifth West African woman to become a physician after Nigerian women, Agnes Yewande Savage (1929), the first West African woman medical doctor and Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi (1938); Irene Ighodaro (1944), the first Sierra Leonean female physician and Susan Ofori-Atta (1947), Ghana's first woman physician.  These pioneering physicians were all early advocates of maternal health, paediatric care and public health in the sub-region. For a long time after independence in 1957, Clerk and Ofori-Atta were the only two women doctors in Ghana. By breaking the glass ceiling in medicine and other institutional barriers to healthcare delivery, they were an inspiration to a generation of post-colonial Ghanaian and West African female doctors at a time the field was still a male monopoly and when the vast majority of women worldwide had very limited access to biomedicine and higher education. Pundits in the male-dominated medical community in that era described Matilda J. Clerk as "the beacon of emancipation of Ghanaian womanhood."

## Rayuwa ta farko da iyali
An haifi Matilda Johanna Clerk a ranar 2 ga Maris 1916 a Larteh a cikin Dutsen Akuapem, inda mahaifinta, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862-1961) ya kasance a matsayin mai wa'azi a Basel a lokacin. Mahaifinta mai horar da tauhidi na Basel shine magatakarda na farko na Synod na Cocin Presbyterian na Gold Coast daga 1918 zuwa 1932.  kuma mahaifin da ya kafa makarantar sakandare ta yara maza, makarantar sakandare ce ta Presbyterian Boys, wacce aka kafa a shekarar 1938.   Mahaifiyarta, Anna Alice Meyer (1873-1934) ta fito ne daga asalin Ga-. Meyer dan uwan Emmanuel Charles Quist ne (1880-1959), lauya kuma alƙali wanda ya zama Shugaban Afirka na farko na Majalisar Dokoki daga 1949 zuwa 1951, Kakakin Majalisar Dokoki ta Gold Coast daga 1951 zuwa 1957 kuma Kakakin Majalisar Dinkin Duniya ta Ghana daga Maris 1957 zuwa Nuwamba 1957. 

Kakan mahaifinta, Alexander Worthy Clerk (1820-1906), mai wa'azi na Jamaican Moravian, ya isa Danish_Gold_Coast" id="mwrg" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Danish Gold Coast">Danish Protectorate of Christiansborg (yanzu unguwar Accra" id="mwrw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Osu, Accra">Osu) a Accra a 1843, a matsayin wani ɓangare na asalin ƙungiyar mishaneri 24 na Yammacin Indiya waɗanda suka yi aiki a ƙarƙashin jagorancin Basel Evangelical Missionary Society of Basel, Switzerland.   Alexander W. Clerk ya kasance majagaba na Cocin Presbyterian na Ghana kuma jagora a ilimi a mulkin mallaka na Ghana, ya kafa makarantar sakandare ta shiga, Makarantar Salem a Osu a 1843.  Kakar mahaifinta, Pauline Hesse (1831-1909) ta fito ne daga Gold Coast, kuma ta fito ne na Danish, Jamusanci da Ga-Dangme. Kakarta ita ce Regina Hesse (1832─1898), malami ne na majagaba kuma shugaban makaranta wanda ya yi aiki tare da Ofishin Jakadancin Basel a Gold Coast . 

'Yan uwan M. J. Clerk sune Carl Henry Clerk (1895-1982) da Theodore S. Clerb (1909-1965). Tana da wasu 'yan uwa shida kuma ta kasance daga cikin sanannen tarihin Clerk na Accra, Ghana. Carl Clerk ya kasance masanin ilimin noma, Mai kula da makarantar, edita, ɗan jarida kuma ministan coci  wanda ya zama magatakarda na hudu na Majami'ar Presbyterian na Gold Coast tsakanin 1950 zuwa 1954 kuma Editan jaridar Christian Messenger daga 1960 zuwa 1963. Theodore Clerk shi ne ɗan Ghana na farko da ya tsara kuma ya haɓaka tashar tashar jiragen ruwa ta Tema, yayin da yayanta, Jane E. Clerk (1904-1999), malami, ta kasance mai kula da ilimi na majagaba a Ghana ta mulkin mallaka.

## Ilimi da horo
Ta sami karatun firamare da na tsakiya a makarantun Presbyterian a Adawso da Aburi bi da bi. A makarantar kwana ta Aburi duk 'yan mata Matilda Clerk ta halarci har zuwa ƙarshen 1931, malaman mishan na Turai sun kira ta "".  M. J. Clerk ya yi karatu a Kwalejin Achimota a 1932. Ta sami tallafin karatu na Cadbury a shekara ta 1934.  A Achimota, ta sami takardar shedar share fage na malamai na biyu (1935) da kuma ta Cambridge Senior School Certificate tare da keɓancewa daga Matriculation na London (1937).

An zabi Matilda Clerk a matsayin Prefect of Girls' School a cikin babban shekarunta a Achimota .  Ta kuma kasance mai horar da pianist da harpist; a matsayin daliba, ta yi fice a wasanni. Daga cikin abubuwan da take so sun kasance zane-zane, fasaha (zane) da aikin lambu.

A cikin 1942, Matilda Clerk ta zama mace ta farko ta Ghana da ta kammala karatun farko a kimiyyar kiwon lafiya ta asali, tana karbar darussan ci gaba a fannin kimiyyar lissafi, ilmin sunadarai, botany da ilimin dabbobi a Achimota .  Gwamnatin mulkin mallaka ta Burtaniya a wannan lokacin ta ba da izinin ɗaliban maza kawai su shiga cikin shirin. Don haka, kafin makarantar ta ba da izinin M. J. Clerk ya shiga cikin hanya a 1940, mahaifinta ya yi kira ga Gwamnan Gold Coast na lokacin, Arnold Wienholt Hodson don izini na musamman.   Ita ce kawai dan takara, namiji ko mace, da ta wuce jarrabawar farko ta likita da aka sani da 1st M.B., London, a shekarar 1942. 

Dangane da aikinta na ilimi, gwamnatin mulkin mallaka ta ba ta tallafin likita mai ban sha'awa don nazarin magani (MBChB) a Jami'ar Edinburgh daga 1944 zuwa 1949.  Ta hanyar lashe kyautar, ta zama mace ta farko ta Ghana a cikin tarihin tarihi da kuma a kowane bangare don samun tallafin karatu don ilimi mafi girma a kasashen waje. A Edinburgh, ta kasance mai aiki a cikin Ƙungiyar Kirista ta Dalibai da Ƙungiyar Duniya. 'Yar Ghana ta biyu kuma mace ta shida a yammacin Afirka (tare da Annie Jiagge) don samun digirin digirgir na jami'a, M. J. Clerk kuma ita ce mace ta farko a Ghana da Afirka ta Yamma da ta sami digiri na biyu a makarantar digiri a lokacin da ta sami digiri a fannin likitanci da tsafta (DTM&H) a 1950 daga Makarantar Kiwon Lafiya ta London, Kwalejin Kiwon Lafiyar Lafiya ta London, da Kwalejin Kiwon Lafiya ta London. Ta koma kasarta a watan Janairun 1951.    

### Sauran majagaba a Yammacin Afirka
A shekara ta 1933, 'yar gwagwarmayar siyasa ta Saliyo Edna Elliot-Horton ta zama mace ta biyu a yammacin Afirka da ta kammala karatun digiri kuma ta farko da ta kammala digiri a fannin fasaha na sassaucin ra'ayi.Annie Jiagge, wacce kuma tsohuwar dalibar makarantar Achimota ce kuma mace ta farko ‘yar kasar Ghana, ta kammala digirin ta na shari’a a Makarantar Koyon Tattalin Arziki ta Landan a shekarar 1949. Yawancin manyan fitilun a cikin aikin likita na Gold Coast a lokacin, ciki har da abokan aikinta na majagaba, Charles Odamtten Easmon, Emmanuel Evans-Anfom da Susan Ofori-Atta, sun halarci Makarantar Achimota da Makarantar Kiwon Lafiya ta Jami'ar Edinburgh.  

## Ayyuka

### Malamin kimiyya
A tsakanin horon malaminta/ilimin sakandare da karatun farko na likitanci a Achimota, ta kasance malamar kimiyya a makarantar sakandare ta 'yan mata ta Wesley daga 1938 zuwa 1940. Daga baya ta koyar da ilimin halittu na tsawon shekaru biyu a almater dinta, Achimota School, daga 1942 zuwa 1944. 

### Likita
Ta guje wa aikin likita mai zaman kansa mai samun riba, ta yi amfani da aikinta gaba daya tana aiki a bangaren gwamnati a fannonin kula da firamare da lafiyar jama'a. Ta kasance jami'ar likita kuma mai kula da aikin farar hula na Gold Coast.  Asibitocin da ta yi aiki a ciki sun hada da sashin haihuwa na asibitin koyarwa na Korle-Bu (1951-53), Babban Asibitin Kumasi (1954-57), Asibitin Effia-Nkwanta, Sekondi (1957-62) da Babban Asibitin Tema (1962-68).  An kara masa girma zuwa matsayin babban jami'in kula da lafiya a shekarar 1969 kuma ya yi aiki na wani lokaci a Asibitin Mata na Gimbiya Marie Louise, yanzu Asibitin Yara na Accra tare da Susan Ofori-Att. Ta kuma yi aiki a sashin ilimin kiwon lafiya na makarantar tsafta da ke birnin Accra daga 1969 zuwa 1971. Ta kasance babbar jami’ar kiwon lafiya a sashen cututtuka masu yaduwa, sashen kula da lafiyar mata da yara na ofishin kula da lafiya na yankin a karkashin ma’aikatar lafiya a Accra daga 1971 zuwa 1973.  Sau da yawa tana aiki a matsayin Jami'in Kiwon Lafiya na Yankin.

## Mutuwa da jana'izar
Matilda Clerk ta mutu kwatsam, tana da shekaru 68, a ranar 27 ga Disamba 1984 a gidanta da ke Osu, Accra.  An yi jana'izar ta a cocin Ebenezer Presbyterian, Osu; An binne gawarwakinta a makabartar cocin, makabartar Basel Mission, kuma a Osu, Accra.  Likitan ‘yar kasar Ghana, malami, shugabar jami’a kuma ma’aikaciyar gwamnati Emmanuel Evans-Anfom ta gabatar da jinjina a wajen jana’izar ta.

## Tunawa da gado
A cikin 2024, an buɗe wani bangon tunawa na Matilda Clerk a Nuffield House, Asibitin Guy a Landan, don karrama gudummawar ta na farko ga magani da kiwon lafiya.

* Jerin lokaci na mata a kimiyya
* Mata a cikin magani

## Bayanan da aka ambata

## Early life and family

An haifi Matilda Johanna Clerk a ranar 2 ga Maris 1916 a Larteh a cikin Dutsen Akuapem, inda mahaifinta, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862-1961) ya kasance a matsayin mai wa'azi a Basel a lokacin. Mahaifinta mai horar da tauhidi na Basel shine magatakarda na farko na Synod na Cocin Presbyterian na Gold Coast daga 1918 zuwa 1932.  kuma wanda ya kafa makarantar sakandaren maza ta kwana, makarantar Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, wanda aka kafa a 1938.l. Mahaifiyarta, Anna Alice Meyer (1873-1934) ta fito ne daga asalin Ga-. Meyer ya kasance dan uwan Emmanuel Charles Quist (1880-1959), Barista kuma alkali wanda ya zama shugaban majalisar dokoki na farko na Afirka daga 1949 zuwa 1951, Kakakin Majalisar Dokokin Kasar Gold Coast daga 1951 zuwa 1957 da Shugaban Majalisar Dokokin Ghana daga Maris 1957 zuwa Nuwamba 1957. 

Kakan mahaifinta, Alexander Worthy Clerk (1820–1906), ɗan mishan Moravian ɗan ƙasar Jamaica, ya isa yankin Danish Protectorate of Christiansborg (yanzu unguwar Osu) a Accra a cikin 1843, a matsayin wani ɓangare na ainihin rukunin 24 na Yammacin Indiya mishaneri waɗanda suka yi aiki a ƙarƙashin ƙungiyar Basel Evangelical ta Switzerland.   Alexander W. Clerk ya kasance majagaba na Cocin Presbyterian na Ghana kuma jagora a ilimi a mulkin mallaka na Ghana, ya kafa makarantar sakandare ta shiga, Makarantar Salem a Osu a 1843.  Kakar mahaifinta, Pauline Hesse (1831-1909) ta fito ne daga Gold Coast, kuma ta fito ne na Danish, Jamusanci da Ga-Dangme. Kakarta ita ce Regina Hesse (1832─1898), malami ne na majagaba kuma shugaban makaranta wanda ya yi aiki tare da Ofishin Jakadancin Basel a Gold Coast . 

'Yan uwan M. J. Clerk sune Carl Henry Clerk (1895-1982) da Theodore S. Clerb (1909-1965). Tana da wasu 'yan uwa shida kuma ta kasance daga cikin sanannen tarihin Clerk na Accra, Ghana. Carl Clerk ya kasance masanin ilimin noma, Mai kula da makarantar, edita, ɗan jarida kuma ministan coci  wanda ya yi aiki a matsayin magatakarda na huɗu na Ikilisiyar Presbyterian na Gold Coast tsakanin 1950 da 1954 kuma Edita na jaridar Manzo na Kirista daga 1960 zuwa 1963. Theodore Clerk ita ce masanin gine-ginen Ghana na farko wanda ya tsara kuma ya haɓaka tashar jiragen ruwa ta Tema, yayin da 'yar'uwarta, Jane E. Clerk (1904-1999), malama ce, ta kasance Mai kula da ilimi na farko a mulkin mallaka na Ghana.