Mrs Grand SA finalist Melanie Wright spoke to learners at B-Sure Private School in Northmead on April 14.
Wright explained her background of where she comes from and the experiences that she has gone through.
The Pretoria resident said she’s from a poor background and found herself in a children’s home with her sister while waiting for her mother to get back on her feet.
When they got a chance to go home, she had to wear hand-me-downs and was not able to invite friends over because there wasn’t enough food to feed her family.
“At home we had a lot of love, but no guidance,” she said.
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Wright said she wore hand-me-downs because her mother couldn’t afford to buy her new clothes.
Reminiscing about how it was at school, Wright said she was always isolated.
“I never managed to fit in with the girls at school,” she said
Addressing the issue of bullying, Wright said whether a child is a bully or being bullied, parents need to look at why the bullying is happening.
“There is a reason why they are acting strangely. You need to look deeper at why they are acting that way,” she said.
In Grade Five she was molested by a shop owner who lived across the road from the flats where she stayed.
That affected how well she did at school, which resulted in her failing that grade.
“I couldn’t concentrate at school because I just wanted an escape,” she said.
In Grade Nine she decided to leave school to find a job, although it was difficult going.
After the death of her twins, whom she had at 16, and after being in failed relationships with men throughout her life, Wright remembers how she would always ask God why all this was happening to her.
“You must never give up.”
“I know you may not feel as if you loved and no one will miss you if you kill yourself, remember that you leaving people behind,” she said.
Wright emphasised that everyone is worthy and it’s important that people know that and believe this.
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