Pageant semi-finalist gives back to girls
Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa visits secondary school in Tembisa.
On May 17, Ipeleng Mofokeng, a Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa semi-finalist 2019, visited the Charlotte Maxeke Secondary School in Pholong, Tembisa, to empower Grade 12 girls.
Ipeleng Mofokeng is a Central University of Technology biomedical technology graduate. She will find out if she is a finalist on June 28 and the crowning will be on November 8. All events will take place at Emperors Palace sponsored by the City of Ekurhuleni.
Cosmo-Net and MTN joined Mofokeng on the day where they gifted 110 Grade 12 girls reusable sanitary pads, estimated to last each learner almost five years.
During the course of the event, Mofokeng donated a pair of shoes and a jacket to two learners who answered her questions to her listening skills test. After that they were offered snacks and a session of selfies with the learners.
Mofokeng said as part of her journey she has joined hands with Cosmo-Net, the masterminds behind MTN walk-in stores, to curb the rising problem of absenteeism of girls in schools due to the lack of sanitary pads during their menstrual cycle.
“The Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa and Cosmo-Net initiative will ensure that more than 300 girls in three Gauteng schools are gifted with a pack of reusable pads,” said Mofokeng.
“This is a pageant for married women, but it is more than a pageant. It is a platform for self-development and self-encouragement. It is a platform to empower women,” said Mofokeng.
Zothile Buthelezi, a Grade 12 learner, also said they were taught about health issues and the consequences of sexual intercourse.
The school principal, Raymond James Phosa, also expressed his gratitude by thanking Mofokeng and her team for choosing their school.
“Hopefully now the level of absenteeism from the learners will decrease. Their donation will be a good help,” said Phosa.
Thokozani Nhlapo, executive director of Cosmo-Net, said they have been partners with MTN for the past 20 years.
“With our newest store being in Tembisa, we decided to identify places in the area that we can help in small ways,” said Nhlapo.
Nhlapo said they are trying to impact girls’ minds through entrepreneurship opportunities like they did in the 2016/2017 period when they took learners from Giyane Secondary School to work for them on the Stepping Stone programme.
Mofokeng said what she liked most about the presentation is how easy it was to interact with the girls.
“It was easy to relate to them because I was once their age. Their level of respect is out of this world and they are attentive and well-mannered,” said Mofokeng.
To vote for Mofokeng, SMS ‘Ipeleng Mofokeng’ to 35959. An SMS costs R3.
