Naledi crowned second princess for Miss Inspire SA
MIDRAND – Naledi is planning on launching the second phase of Thlalefang project to get more books for disadvantaged children.
Noordwyk‘s pride, Naledi Matlakala was crowned the second princess in the Miss Inspire SA pageant finale held on 24 March at the Lakeside in Benoni.
The Miss Inspire SA pageant celebrates strong, committed young women who are willing to represent the community as a goodwill ambassador, becoming a role model of today while strengthening the country for tomorrow.
Although she slipped and stumbled on her fears a couple of times on the day, she said she has learnt a great deal from the pageant about self-confidence and believing in her dreams.
“I didn’t practice my walk and ramp, so I slipped more times than I could count. I’m not a pageant girl but what the judges said to me was ‘that’s not the point, you are enough’. From now on I choose to celebrate that because this pageant taught me to,” she said. She won herself a R5 000 cash prize, cosmetics, spa treatments and more.
Matlakala has founded and engaged in community projects throughout her Miss Inspire SA journey. One of her initiatives, Tlhalefang has already engaged in its first project called #Roadto150. The purpose of the project was to collect a minimum of 150 books in a period of 43 days beginning on 16 February. More than 150 books were donated to Tshepang Care Centre.
She also had the #Queens initiative, which aimed to empower girls by assisting them on their journey of becoming their best version of themselves, through sanitary towel drives and more. Furthermore, she successfully had the #FillUpTheBuckets project where she collected basic food items to give as food parcels to at least 40 disadvantaged families. The young community-driven woman is planning on launching the second phase of the Thlalefang project to get more books for disadvantaged children.
“I wouldn’t know where to place my gratitude first because there is so much to be grateful for. It is a bittersweet end but the end of this journey marks the beginning of another,” she said.
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