With persistence and perseverance, a New Woodlands teenager has taken second place in the primary school section of the Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre essay competition.
Saskia Flandorp, 13, wrote an essay about global citizenship and how the youth can help with this.
“There were three topics: global citizen, how libraries can be involved in the industrial revolution and how numeracy and literacy can be improved in schools. I did not understand the rest so I chose the topic on global citizenship,” said Saskia.
Along with her mentor and teacher at West End Primary School in Lentegeur, Ameen Saferdien, Saskia was determined to complete her work with pride.
“After she was chosen as a finalist, she was to do a presentation from her essay.
“Her essay carried most of the weight for the competition. Saskia made sure she included her audience and utilised technology in her presentation which the judges appreciated,” said Ms Saferdien.
Jane Flandorp is very proud of her eldest granddaughter.
“She is a hard worker and doesn’t allow anything to stand in her way, go big or go home,” said Ms Flandorp.
She said Saskia has flourished from Grade R to Grade 7 and hopes that she will do the same when she reaches high school. Saskia has been accepted to study at Portland High School in 2019.
“I was nervous at first but gained momentum as I went along. I am also enjoying my mountain bike I won for coming second. I want to keep writing in the future. I want to become a medical researcher one day and excel in that,” said Saskia.
The Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre is based at Islamia College in Lansdowne.
More than 500 submissions were received for the competition and only 10 were selected for presentation.