After 20 years of being abused, Emmah Ntuli (52), a survivor of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), finally pursues her modelling career through the help of Miss Inspire and her daughter, Samkelisiwe Ntuli.

“I am not a victim anymore, but I am a survivor,” said Emmah. Regardless of her past traumas of being gang-raped, assaulted verbally, emotionally, and physically, she did not let the past define her future. Instead, she turned pain into beauty.

Emma entered Miss Inspire with the end goal of not only being a model, but to make a change in her community, boosting her confidence, and regaining self-love. She is currently a finalist in the Miss Inspire South Africa 2024 pageant in Mpumalanga.

Emmah is not fixing her own crown only, but lending a helping hand to those in need. “In the community I provide the local schools with sanitary towels, school uniforms, and assisting where it is mostly needed in the rehabilitation centres and old age homes as well,” she explained.

She is also preparing delicious food for learners who only get a chance to eat at school and to carry dinner home, every week.

Emmah is on a mission to fight the GBV pandemic in her community. “I’m raising awareness about GBV, and educating the people in my community about it, and ways of preventing it. I believe I aim to help them pick themselves up,’’ she said.

With all the pain she has been through making a difference, and putting a smile on someone’s face is all she ever desires as she recently opened a non-profit organisation.

“I have achieved a lot in just a short space of time and I am happy as I am living my dreams,” she concluded.

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