SA supermodel helps impoverished women

The Victoria’s Secret beauty, who is scheduled to walk down the catwalk in a iconic R100 million bra, is heavily involved in promoting women’s empowerment projects in Brazil, where she owns a house in Bahia.

“Bahia is one of my favourite places in the world, and growing up in South Africa I have seen firsthand the problems caused when women don’t have the opportunity for education.”

Swanepoel now gives freely of her time to promote the Bahia-based project that sees local women formally employed to produce clothes and accessories made from recycled good, including bags made of used bottle-tops.

It’s a long way from gold and jewel encrusted underwear that comes with its own bodyguards and which requires the wearing of gloves before it is put on.

“The women who work here get to feel a part of something, to learn a new craft and to feel like a professional, which is fantastic,” Swanepoel told The Irish Independent.

– TEAMtalk Media