A CIVIL engineering student who is passionate about the environment, is using her influence to boost awareness of the work Child Welfare Durban and District does in the community.
Mireesha Narsai is the new brand ambassador for the welfare organisation, alongside Durban magician, Mo Magic.
She is currently a full-time civil engineering student studying for her Masters degree, and was placed third in the Miss Earth competition last year.
“I won the title of Miss Fire, which was appropriate for Durban! Through the media coverage my community work was highlighted and this platform enabled me to take this community work to a different level and reach more people,” she said.
Mireesha said Irene Okoye, income development manager at Child Welfare, contacted her and shared with her the work Child Welfare was doing in and around Durban.
“Irene asked me if I would be interested in becoming an ambassador for the organisation. I thought it was such a great opportunity and said yes! We are all responsible to do as much as we can to help others in the community. The more attention and support I cangive to this 99-year-old organisation on a social platform, the better!” she said.
Fueled by her passion for the environment, Mireesha is taking environmental programmes to the homes run by Child Welfare.
“Some of the homes have recycling programmes, but I aim to work on this. I will also be hosting a beach clean-up to educate the children on how waste impacts on the ocean and I aim to go to the homes to grow environmental education in general,” she said.
During Human Rights Month, she will be working with the children to promote human rights of children and women.
Mireesha feels strongly about women empowerment and will be hosting an event in August where she will speak to the girls at the homes and give them informal lessons on career choices.”I hope to expand their knowledge of how many career choices there are out there,” she said.
Mireesha’s Masters degree is a green energy project on an Algal Biofuel and waste water treatment programme. She hopes to use her technical knowledge to translate across to more people and the children she is working with.
“I need to be able to put a point across to a six year old to make them understand about having good conscious habits, to make this something they just do naturally and take through life as the future generation,” she said.
Not only is Mireesha a fundi on the environment, but she is also a big ‘foodie’.
“I’m always busy but when I’m not studying, I am developing and inventing new recipes. I’m a full time vegetarian, bordering on being a vegan, but I have to work on the cheese part, as I love it! My family is always having to try my new dishes. Otherwise, I am always crafting things out of recycled goods at home. I recently made a jewellery box out of old metal bottle tops and have made stationery holders out of old Pringles tins. I have a big Pinterest board on these things!” she said.
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