Westville teen wins Miss India pageant
Miss India South Africa KZN's goal is to give back to the community.
FORMER Westville Girls’ High School pupil, Sureka Amikachander (18), was recently crowned Miss India South Africa KZN at ‘the Durban Jewish Hall.
Sureka started modelling when she was four years old and has won many titles over the years including Miss Petite Africa, Queen of the Universe and is the face of the eastern line, Sabah Collection.
Surika said she comes from a close family of four who has supported and encouraged her throughout her modelling career. “With lots of support from my parents, I am now a professional model and a Bollywood dancer,” she said.Besides modelling, Surika also enjoys forum discussion, debate, netball and tennis.
“Miss India South Africa KZN was a glittering event produced by Poize Hair and Beauty Salon. The pageant had eastern and western segments, talent segment as well as a question and answer segment.
“Besides winning the title I also won the Bright eyes award, the prize is I will be flying to India in December.”
Surika added that winning the pageant had changed her life. “It has opened many doors for my future. I am modelling at various fashion shows for some of the leading names in fashion.
Being Miss India South Africa KZN has also given me the platform to help empower young women of my community and enable me to do my bit for charity.
Surika,who resides in Westville, said throughout her modelling career her main goal was to give back to not only her community, but to thousands of homeless and destitute people.
She is the the junior ambassador for Malvern Children’s Home, and is also closely involved with other homes in Durban.
She said one of her greatest achievements so far was receiving a Westville Rotary Club award last year.
“I would like to encourage young people to help out at charity events whenever they can. You do not necessarily need a title and crown to help make a difference in someone’s life.
“I firmly believe in the wise words of Mother Teresa: “if you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.”
” I believe in myself and the power of my inner strength, I believed I had the strength to win Miss India SA and make a change,” she said.
Surika added that she now wishes to compete in the Miss South Africa Pageant and become an ambassador for the country.
