On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean was struck by one of the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history. Caused by a massive undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, it created waves up to 30 m, destroyed entire coastal communities and resulted in 227,898 fatalities in 14 countries, especially in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
But on Mai Khao Beach in Phuket, Thailand, something extraordinary happened.
Tilly Smith, a 10-year-old British girl, was on holiday with her family when she noticed something unusual about the ocean. The water was coming in further and further on the beach and foaming in a way she had seen only in her school geography lesson. Just two weeks earlier her class learned about the warning signs of a tsunami.
Tilly recognised the signs and warned her parents that a tsunami was coming. At first they didn’t believe her, but she persisted. Her father then alerted hotel staff, and together they helped evacuate the beach just seconds before the 9-meter-tall wave hit.
Because of her quick thinking, the beach was cleared in time and the lives of about 100 people who might have otherwise died were saved. Tilly’s knowledge and quick thinking were celebrated internationally, showing the global importance of education in disaster-risk reduction.
Her example shows that STEM education empowers young minds and helps them understand the world scientifically. It also proves that when young girls are exposed to STEM subjects from a young age, their curiosity, insight, and critical thinking can solve real-world problems.
Let’s champion STEM education for every girl, everywhere – because the next big discovery, lifesaving idea, or world-changing innovation could come from her.
Photo credit: Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash
Author
CESIE ETS
Dr. Maryna Manchenko holds a PhD in Human Rights from the Università degli Studi di Palermo. She has extensive experience in research, both qualitative and quantitative, and academic writing with a background in equity in STEM fields, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, hate speech, violent extremism and conspiracy theories.