Maduna, born in Soweto, explained how excited she was for this new journey even though she has been part of Miss Earth for many years.
“Being Miss Earth has been a journey for me. People are surprised that I have recently been announced but I have been part of the programme for quite some time. I entered the competition in 2017 and it is quite a long programme. You don’t get crowned because of beauty, it is beyond that,” explains Maduna.
She said the competition is for a group of young women who are ambassadors wanting to make a difference with whatever their purpose is.
“Wearing this title is an honour. I believe I deserved to win because of my efforts towards this journey. I have contributed my selfless act of kindness to the communities. I have reached out in doing my bit in planting trees and also in feeding schemes that I have also involved my family in.
“For me, it’s not just about the win but the main objective is to continue my efforts contributing to the change. I want to educate and find ways for our youth to uplift themselves, the importance of sustainability, and where we are going as people,” she said.
Unexpected win
She said she didn’t know she would be Miss Earth South Africa one day but she is a compassionate person.
“I grew up in a compassionate household where giving back is our tradition. Being involved in community services is our thing at home. It was instilled in me because of my grandmother.
“We were taught that any clothing item that does not fit you gets distributed to someone who is in need. The same thing with food waste, we were taught to give to the less fortunate.
“With all these acts over the years, I never knew that I would be Miss Earth South Africa. I am passionate about and involved in the organisation. I have been doing campaigns like community services, planting trees or any other uplifting events,” said Maduna.
Planting trees
Since it is Arbour Week, which encourages the planting of trees, Maduna shines a light on the importance of trees and their maintenance in the community.
“What caught my attention was the organisation’s love for sustaining the environment, leadership and women empowerment.
“We all share a common goal in creating a change. My pursuit in this journey is not only to raise urgency towards combatting sustainability and environmental awareness but also to educate and create urgency around it.
“While doing that, I want to continue my efforts in pulling people into acting with me, and let them understand the importance of these projects,” she said.
In a beautiful green dress that celebrates spring, Miss Earth South Africa planted a Sweet Karoo tree at Thaba Eco Hotel as a pledge to educating the world about responsibly using the earth’s resources.
End of Miss Earth South Africa journey
Former Miss Earth South Africa Lungo Katete said it has been an emotional journey from the beginning, but for her all that has mattered was to try to make an impact, making a difference and touching people the best way she could.
“For me, it wasn’t necessarily about the title nor the glory that came with it but just making sure that people were well taken care of. It has been overwhelming but through the support of my family and the Miss Earth team, we managed to prevail.
“This is something I will always be grateful for. Everything is a challenge and nothing gets easy. I think I tried my best to represent South Africa internationally and I still stayed true to myself,” said Katete.
