Cape Town - Knowledge is power. This is what drives little merit scholar Owuvuyo Jim.
Jim, who is eight-years-old, has been a merit scholar for the past two years at her school Molo Mhlaba in Khayelitsha and is currently in Grade 2.
She became the merit, or top learner, after she got the highest mark for all subjects with an average of 95%.
“Everyone needs to learn things because when asked a question they can answer it because they have learnt. My favourite subject is maths and I like basketball,” said Jim.
Her hobbies include reading, writing and doing ballet and learning new poses and moves.
She hopes to push girls into reading more. She manages her time by learning to switch the TV off and not spend too much time on her tablet, finding time to read a book or solve a maths problem.
“I mainly support her with reading and writing. Children see what you do. I read most of the time to inspire her. You can always escape by reading. I opened a library card and I often take her to the library,” said her mum Thandiwe Hobongwana.
Her dad, Mlungiseleli Jim, said when it comes to maths, she doesn't need much support because she can do it most of the time, and they often play games with numbers.
Molo Mhlaba is a non-profit school that started in 2018 and offers a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts/design, and maths) based curriculum.
Rethabile Mashale-Sonibare, director of Molo Mhlaba said Jim has been a top student for two years running. She’s excelled in her academics, and extra murals and grown to be a very socially conscious girl.
Weekend Argus