Maame Serwaa shines in Malaysia

Eight-year-old Maame Serwaa Akua Nkrumah stunned participants at the UCMAS Abacus and Mental Arithmetic International Competition in Malaysia when she placed third out of the 2,543 contestants that took part in the event.

The contestants came from 55 countries, including the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom, China, Australia, Nigeria, Cameroun and South Africa.

For her prize, Maame Nkrumah, who is a Class Five pupil of the Tower Hamlet International School at Nmai Djorn, Ashaley Botwe, was presented with a trophy and a medal.

She qualified for the 19th edition of the event in Malaysia after she won the Ghana competition.

UCMAS (Universal Concepts of Mental Arithmetic Systems) is a mental arithmetic programme for children aged between four and 12. It uses an ancient tool, the abacus (manual aid for calculating), for the right brain development. It  also helps  to increase speed and accuracy, learning ability, concentration and academic performance.

The programme is not just about solving complex mathematical problems using mental arithmetic, it is about instilling and boosting confidence at an early stage in life.

In the first round of the Malaysian competition, which was held on December 1, last year, the competitors answered 200 questions in eight minutes.

Maame Nkrumah told the Junior Graphic on her return from the international competition that she was not afraid of the other competitors because she was well prepared.

“I was not afraid because I knew I could win,” she said, adding that she was sure of her performance because God was going to help her.

Maame Nkrumah encouraged other pupils to join the UCMAS programme because it helped develop the mental alertness of students.

An elated father, Mr Mark Bimpong Nkrumah, told the Junior Graphic that he was proud of the performance of his daughter.

“I am very proud of her…I knew she could do it,” he said.

The Managing Director of UCMAS Ghana Limited, Mr Girish Gurbani, described her performance as wonderful, and said he was proud of her achievement.