Miss Earth SA jets off

With a passion for people, our planet and education, it is not hard to see why Irini Moutzouris has scooped the prestigious title of Miss Earth South Africa 2017.

Taking the win no less than a month ago, Moutzouris is in the heart of a whirlwind as she is already on her way to the Philippines in South East Asia, where she will represent SA at the international Miss Earth 2017.

She will be in the Philippines for close to a month and will compete for the coveted international title in Manila on 4 November.

Born in Joburg, Moutzouris grew up in Klerksdorp in the North West and has completed her studies in both the Free State and Pretoria, and is currently a final year Education student at the University of Pretoria.

At a farewell hosted by Tsogo Sun’s Palazzo Hotel, Montecasino on 4 October, Moutzouris showcased her national costume designed for her by none other than Sonwabile Ndamase of Vukani Fashions. Ndamase has been the head designer of the winning national costume design for Miss Earth South Africa for the past six years, and each year his design wins international gold awards abroad.

She will also be dressed in Manila, by renowned couture designer, Jose De Canha from Klerksdorp, where her glamorous evening dress will be sure to dazzle the international crowds.

The international Miss Earth event is a powerful platform where over 100 participating countries have the opportunity to send these young women to learn from each other, open their minds to climate challenges and to also share best practices from their individual advocacy work in their respective countries.

“It’s rewarding to see the growth and influence of the Miss Earth South Africa programme over more than 14 years,” said Ella Bella Leife, director of the Miss Earth programme.

“The international event has always been an exciting showcase of the work we are doing here at home and we are excited that Irini will share the powerful impact the #WasteStopsWithME campaign has had in communities around South Africa.

“This campaign is just one of the projects Irini will be presenting to the international body as to what she is advocating in her home country. Along with this campaign, she will also be sharing the City of Joburg’s recently launched #AreSebetseng monthly cleanup initiative which aims at getting the community to help clean up and keep Joburg City moving forward.”

With her passion for education, Moutzouris has found many ways to thread through the theme of waste in the classroom on a daily basis. “I studied education, not only because of my love for children, but I believe that your education is an intangible asset that nobody can ever take away from you,” Moutzouris said.

The platform of Miss Earth South Africa has given her an opportunity to engage children, youth and community members on the issues we face as a society when it comes to the creation of waste and the manner in which we have traditionally discarded it.

With an energetic focus on waste, Irini has made weekly school visits and held classroom activities that all aim to not only create awareness but educate.

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