Miss Tshwane Region Ofentse Mitta Kekana, 24, donating shoes to boys at Mahlasedi Primary School in Mamelodi.
Ofentse Mitta Kekana, 24, is basking in the glory of holding the title of Miss Tshwane Region.
She said she started competing in pageantry at the age of 9 and has remained dedicated to it ever since.
“I was inspired by my mom she was a model back in her day; I took a break when she passed on in 2013 because her death affected me,” she said.
Kekana has taken part in a number of pageants over the years, and she says she loves modelling.
She now holds 20 pageant titles and was crowned Miss Tshwane Region last year.
Kekana said to her being a pageant queen was not about being pretty and owning a crown, but servanthood , leadership and empowerment.
The reigning Tshwane queen is running a shoe drive at Mahlasedi Primary School in Mamelodi for boy learners. Through the initiative, she collects shoes and donates them to help learners in need.
She has also donated to different schools in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
“I passionately advocate for continuous education and the mental well-being of boy learners” she said.
Kekana said she believes that having the proper footwear was not only a matter of comfort, but also a fundamental requirement for children to fully engage in their education.
“Unfortunately, many families in our community struggle to afford even the most basic necessities, including school shoes for their children. I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to start the school year on the right foot.”
She added that it breaks her heart to see others coming to school with torn shoes.
She believes that this donation will impact the lives of the less fortunate learners positively in schools as they too will have appropriate shoes like every other child and not feel different to other children just because they come from a disadvantaged background donation.
Recently she donated sanitary products as part of her many social initiatives.
Her initiatives led to volunteering programmes and achieved sustainability, while making an impact in communities.
“I believe that failure to have proper sanitary menstruation materials such as underwear and sanitary towels for adolescent girls can have negative health consequences. That’s why I felt it was important to donate sanitary towels to the school. A little goes a long way,” she said.
Kekana said was proud that she has done something for the community of Mamelodi and surrounding areas, and that learners can always look forward to going to school every day without any stress.
She has previously collected and donated food parcels and toiletries for young girls.
Pretoria News
Lesego Montso
lesego.montso@inl.co.za