Local is finalist in Miss India South Africa pageant

AFTER walking away with the Miss Sparkling Eyes title at the Miss India Gauteng pageant, local 19-year-old Shwetha Suredin is one of 10 finalists who will compete in the Miss India South Africa pageant in December.

The final for Miss India Gauteng was held on March 12 at Gold Reef City’s Lyric Theatre. The pageant was first introduced in South Africa 24 years ago, making this year its silver jubilee.

Suredin competed in the regional pageant and will be moving on to the national competition where she will compete with other finalists from different provinces.

She is currently a full-time second year BA student in communication design at the University of Johannesburg, a part-time Bharatanatyam student at the KDA dance academy and a volunteer at Peke Haven.

“Having been the first pageant I entered, I was awfully nervous and had no idea of what to expect. I had people tell me about their experiences in pageants but you never truly know something unless you’ve experienced it,” said Suredin.

“Upon entering the pageant, my goal  was to grow as an individual and I am so glad to say that I have achieved that and so much more. Apart from meeting inspiring and wonderful people, I have gained so much confidence and this has boosted my self-esteem considerably. I have also learnt that everyone is different and special in their own way and everyone can bring something unique to the table. Most importantly, I have made friendships and memories that I will always treasure,” Suredin added.

Contestants had to model in a Western outfit and introduce themselves to the judges, then proceed to showcasing their talent in three minutes. They also had to model in an Eastern outfit and answer a question asked by the judges in order to be announced as a finalist for the national competition.

“There are so many people I’d like to thank, but most importantly God, because it is through Him that I am who I am and where I am today. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank the Miss India team for allowing young women like myself to showcase themselves and for creating many opportunities for the contestants.

“My sponsors ZenQ, Foschini and Exqzit Boutique for ensuring my outfits were nothing short of being beautiful and glamorous. My friends and family for their unwavering support throughout this journey but most importantly my parents – they have been my pillar of strength and my driving force, especially my mom. She ensured that even the smallest detail was perfect. I am forever grateful and I could not have done this without their support,” said Suredin.

She also recently went public with her own community organisation, Dzign_A_Dream, to show fellow designers they can achieve their dream and make it a reality and inspire as many people as possible by being a mentor.

“Under the banner of Dzign_A_Dream I have successfully executed my pet projects, namely The Cupcake Drive on Valentine’s Day where I handed out cupcakes to car guards and the homeless around Kempton CBD, and The Easter Egg Drive for Easter at Nkosi’s Haven, a home for Aids orphans in South Gate, where I handed out Easter eggs to the children and helpers.”

Suredin’s upcoming event, DivaForADay is a Mother’s Day project to pamper moms in old age homes by giving them a make-over.

“I invite all aspiring hair stylists and make-up artists to contact me so we can reach out to as many moms as possible.”

For more information contact Shwetha on 084-920-1276.