By Rebecca Ampah
Shenmo Ghana will proudly represent Ghana at the 2nd African Shenmo Cup – International Abacus Mental Math Olympiad, scheduled for October 18, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda. The prestigious Pan-African competition brings together young math geniuses from across the continent to demonstrate their mental arithmetic skills, foster cultural exchange, and celebrate Africa’s growing intellectual potential.
Themed “Empowering Young Minds, Realizing Africa’s Dream,” the event is organized by Shenmo Educational International Group, headquartered in Beijing, China, with Shenmo Rwanda serving as the main host.
Speaking to the media, Musa Frimpong, Principal of Shenmo Ghana, expressed excitement about Ghana’s participation. He highlighted Shenmo Ghana’s mission of enhancing children’s creativity and critical thinking through abacus and mental math training.
“We specialize in teaching abacus and mental maths, a brain development program targeting children aged 4 to 15 years. It helps improve both their cognitive and non-cognitive abilities,” he explained. “The world is moving toward technology and the digital age, and giving these children a solid foundation in science and maths is crucial for their future.”
Since its establishment in Ghana three years ago, Shenmo has trained over 1,000 children, many of whom have participated in international competitions. Frimpong revealed that after several rounds of local contests, two outstanding students were selected to represent Ghana in Rwanda after winning special awards in the national round.
The selected students include; Ridwan Mahmoud Jajah and Ummu Sulaim Abass all from Al-Hikmah Islamic Montessori School, Botwe, Accra.
Joseph Jebu, a Shenmo abacus instructor, emphasized the organization’s innovative teaching approach.
“Our goal is to make mathematics easy and exciting for kids,” he said. “We use the Shenmo Abacus device as our main tool, along with songs and stories, to make learning interactive and enjoyable. Once children understand the basics of addition, subtraction, and multiplication, mathematics becomes much easier.”
The Shenmo Cup is expected to draw participants from several African nations, offering students an opportunity to not only compete but also engage in cultural exchanges that build unity and confidence among Africa’s next generation of thinkers.
Shenmo Ghana’s delegation departed for Kigali earlier today, carrying the hopes of Ghana’s young math community and setting the stage for another proud moment in the nation’s educational advancement.
