Leanne Lloyd (47) and her daughter Caylin (12) believe pageantry and modelling should serve as a platform to equip youth with practical skills.”It’s not about being the prettiest, winning a title, and then never being seen again,” Leanne says. “It’s about what you do with the platform once you have it.”

Through their experiences with Ace Models and fashion platforms, the pair saw how the runway could become a classroom. “What we have learned through modelling is that it can give a young person so much more than the ability to walk a runway,” Leanne explains. “It can teach confidence, communication, discipline, presentation, and leadership. That’s when we started asking ourselves, ‘Why can’t we use what we have learned to help other people?'”

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In a country where a lot of youth are unemployed, they are determined to develop practical life skills that open doors. “Confidence is a life skill. Communication is a life skill. Knowing how to present yourself, write a CV, prepare for an interview, and believe that you have something valuable to offer. These are things young people need.”

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Caylin, who has already walked at South African Kids & Teens Fashion Week and New Romantics, is passionate about education. Together, they are running a stationery drive through BackaBuddy. They hope to raise enough to sponsor a school and are open to suggestions. Leanne has her eye on schools around Fourways and already works with Grace Point Church, donating toys and clothes. Their growing network of supporters includes Bianca Consulting, New Romantics, Sofa King Hot Relish, Anna Okurowska, ColorMix Hair Designs, Lola Liquorice Luxury and Brentoni Eyewear. These partnerships reflect a belief that businesses, families and communities can work together for something bigger.

Open about her own experiences with depression, anxiety, and epilepsy, Leanne wants to help remove stigma. She also believes sport can bring children from different communities together while teaching teamwork and leadership. “We really want to make a change through youth empowerment,” she adds. “At 47 and even at 12, we are pushing boundaries, trying to get out there and communicate through platforms, to get into communities and give a voice to those who don’t have one.”

For Leanne and Caylin, success is measured not by the crown but by the people they reach and the opportunities they help create. The runway is only the beginning.

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