Despite facing adversity, a grade 10 Cape Recife High pupil who is dyslexic has qualified for the international round at the 2018 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.
Caroline Boshoff has been excelling since the first grade.
This year she displayed her project Sakha Isizwe Ngemfundo, which means build the nation though early education, and her research compared the development of privileged and underprivileged children and children with disabilities.
At just 16, the Rowallan Park resident, who had been teased mercilessly about her dyslexia throughout her school career, decided to focus her energy on creating something others could use.
“I struggle a lot to read and write. Sometimes I struggle so much with my schoolwork, but it doesn’t stop me from working harder,” she said.
“I have a passion for science because it is mainly practical work.”
Caroline won best female entry as well as the social and psychological category, the book prize from NMU for most enthusiastic interview and the gold medal at the Regional Eskom Science Expo in 2017.
And now she will be among those representing the Eastern Cape in October in Boksburg at the international round of the expo.
“My research proved that children from an economically privileged environment reached their development milestones sooner than children from an economically underprivileged environment or children with a disability.
“This year’s research is to find out if the children from an economically underprivileged environment and children with disabilities will benefit from an educational programme focusing on visual perception skills to reach their developmental milestones sooner,” Caroline said.
“After my research was completed I identified the need for training of social workers, teachers and parents.”
Caroline offered training to social workers from the department of social development in July about the developmental milestones of children, and distributed a manual to them.
“I also designed a workbook for children and plan to give it to 1,000 children in special daycare centres and early childhood development centres in the Bay next year.”
She won gold at the 2016 expo after she invented a device that assists one-handed people to button their clothing, and an elongated hairbrush for people with shorter arms.
“I hope to get gold again this year and I am really so happy to be going to internationals – it is proof that all my hard work is finally paying off,” she said.
“For me to get this far is such a great thing because my passion is helping others.
“I believe that with the right tools and foundation anything is possible.
“I could hardly read or write without the help of my mom and grandma.”
Her mother, Mariechen Boshoff, 50, who has been Caroline’s biggest support, said she was proud of her daughter’s accomplishments despite her dyslexia.
“She has faced so much in her life but as a parent I am incredibly proud of her and it is amazing to see how much she has grown,” Boshoff said.