In essence, numiknowô is a series of online and real-life games based on dominoes. Learners compete in teams over a range of timed activities that, at their foundation, rely on being quick and confident with numbers. From basic addition and pronunciation to more complicated skills like division and fractions, the point of numiknowô is to gamify mathematics, encouraging children of all ages and abilities to get involved using little more than a set of paper-printed dominoes and a large dose of fun.
Thanks to the dedication of Hoedspruit Hub founder and numiknowô creator Thias Taute, as well as the Hub’s coordinators, an impressive 70 teams totalling upwards of 210 learners from various local schools entered the competition. After several weeks of online practice and games, 24 teams were then selected as the top qualifiers to participate in the live finals at German S Chiloane Secondary School and Lowveld Academy. Here, they had the chance to compete for several prizes – with a sought-after stay at Koru Camp for the eventual winners!
Just a week after the competition ended, 12 mathematical brains and four delighted teachers from the winning teams arrived on the back of Joel’s game viewer – wide-eyed and excited to head out on their very first safari. Nelson Ngoveni, Social Development Projects Manager at Hoedspruit Hub, also joined the camp and was full of praise for the experience. “Koru Camp was amazing, the kids were learning a lot about the environment and having a lot of fun. Joel was on top of his game with the kids, all the other staff were very friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed the game drives and the food, which was delicious. It was fun and informative for everyone. I LOVED IT!”
Ranging from 10 to 15 years old, this was the first time that most of these learners had set foot in the Greater Kruger and seen its wildlife for themselves. Zandi Maseko, a teacher from Mahlambandlopfu Primary School added “We are very grateful for the opportunity to be hosted at Koru Camp, it was a really great experience. The staff was so welcoming, the 3 days felt like a home away from home. The program was more science-based but very informative for the learners as they are also learning science in school. We got to physically see wild animals and learn about their habitat, diets and medical uses of plants in and around the camp which was so eye-opening. In essence, the camp gave more emphasis on the fact that it is very crucial to take care of our surroundings. The food was delicious; one of the best parts about the adventure.”
As for us, it was a pleasure to be able to support this exciting initiative – something that we could not have done were it not for the wonderful sponsorship by the team at Connected Planet. Empowering South African children to invest time and energy in their education through games like numiknowô is a fun way to help boost exam results and school retention rates and maybe the last few days at Koru Camp inspired one or two of these budding academics to be the next Joel or Dineo! Who knows what these bright, young minds can achieve with the right support and experiences along the way…
