A young girl is happy to be part of a competition which gives young people like her a chance to follow her dreams.
Lyrics from hip hop star YoungstaCpt ring in Zoë du Toit’s ears ever so often.
“This one for my coloured girls, not for any other girls
I think you’re so beautiful, you should be the cover girl.”
This has been the motivation for Du Toit, a Grade 11 learner at Worcester Gymnasium, as she continues her race towards being the Sarie magazine’s cover girl in the “Sarie Nuwe gesig vir jonger lesers” competition.
She entered the competition in April and in the recent four months she has been getting closer to being the face of the award-winning magazine. A spot in the top 5 warrants an interview which will be published in the publication.
Du Toit shares that the feeling is still surreal.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would make it this far.” Little did she know that she would be one of the top 8 contestants.
Everyday, someone gets eliminated from the competition.
The young girl hopes that this opportunity will open more doors for her in future. “I don’t only represent myself in this competition, I also represent my school and I am honoured to be part of a competition that has transformed so much and given me and the rest of us coloured girls the chance to embrace our beauty. We are always discriminated against because of our hair and how we speak, but this competition allows one to be just oneself and that is most important. I am also proud of the fact that I am the only coloured girl still in the running.”
Du Toit’s mother passed away when she was only four years old and she shares that the loss of her mother has taught her to become and independent young woman. “The situation has shaped me and being told often that I have parts of her personality, is really heart-warming. She was passionate and confident and that is good to know.”
