Phoebe Mgxaji flew the South African flag high in China recently after being one of four girl-scientists invited to compete at the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition.
Beijing, China – Imagine how it would feel to be part of one of the largest science competitions in the world? “Quite exceptional,” if 16-year-old Curro learner, Phoebe Mgxaji is to be believed, who recently attended the 39th Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. Mgxaji, a learner at Curro Sitari in Somerset West in the Western Cape, was one of only four girl-scientists from South Africa selected to exhibit at the event in China.
And not only did Mgxaji attend, but she also excelled. According to an article by Expo Science, her project about food labelling secured her a silver medal in the Bio-Medical Science category. Additionally, she was awarded the Youth Science and Technology Innovation special award, sponsored by the Beijing district government. This brought with it not only the prestige of beating some of the best projects in the world, but also a ¥2 000 cash reward, or about R4 000.
The path to the Beijing science competition wasn’t an easy one. First, Mgxaji’s project had to make it through a regional round and then get the thumbs up at Eskom’s Expo for Young Scientists events in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.
However, for Mgxaji, her project is about more than doing well at an international science competition – it is about bringing real change to society. When it comes to food labelling, she believes labels are filled with too much jargon, with too little nutritional information that’s comprehensible.
“People are not aware of what they are eating, because the information is too scientific, or filled with numbers that regular people don’t understand,” Mgxaji notes.
With the high obesity rate being a significant problem in South Africa, she intends to meet with the large food manufacturing companies to discuss a clear and logical labelling programme going forward.
As such, Mgxaji is a sure candidate for Curro’s recent #Learners2Leaders campaign.
“We’ve launched our #Learners2Leaders campaign to celebrate our mission of developing well-rounded youth with a bright future, through quality independent education. Seeing Phoebe flourish leaves us immensely proud,” comments Andries Greyling, Curro Holdings CEO.
Her trip to Beijing, China was Mgxaji’s first trip overseas, and it was undoubtedly one well spent. Apart from showcasing her project, she managed to travel through Beijing, eat some of the local cuisines and meet fellow learners from across the globe.
After high school, Mgxaji is planning on studying Cardiology, noting how, in a way, this ties in with her recent project.
“What you eat does affect your health, and your health does affect your heart,” she concludes.
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