All in the name of women empowerment
Olivia Joel was among many women from the West Rand to have excelled in SterStatus.
Olivia Renecke from Radiokop, Roodepoort is among the many dedicated and talented women who went on a life-changing journey with SterStatus this year.
Olivia won the director’s choice category for SterStatus and said she learned valuable lessons.
“I can now empower vulnerable people in my community and want to give people a voice. It’s been such a rewarding journey. I’m a children’s rights activist having survived child abuse. I’m a wife-to-be, sister, stepmom and dog mom. I just love animals and want to establish a charity that takes in abandoned pets,” Olivia said.
SterStatus is a women empowerment programme that works with various initiatives and charities, however, contestants can go beyond helping young women and girls by reaching out and helping other initiatives or charities. Olivia shares the importance of the show and why she used it as a platform to help communities.
“I celebrated my sweet 16 at the Miss Teen SA pageant. Life-changing is putting it mildly. I watched the presenters on stage with such awe and always wanted to be one. I practiced my Top Billing signature move in front of my bedroom mirror. Life happened and I had to put the dream aside, but when I saw the SterStatus audition advert on Facebook, something stirred inside me, and at 39 years of age I had to enter. I believe we all owe it to ourselves to honour our dreams.”
The directors’ title is a special title given to contestants by the producers and directors of the show who recognise women who took great initiative in the competition for their efforts despite not receiving the top prizes. For Olivia, the platform allowed her to lift her voice and send a message to many who watched the show.
“To own my voice, I say that because most times we dim our voices or light to accommodate those around us. I want to show other little girls or young women that do come from either abusive or underprivileged backgrounds that you can achieve anything if you just believe number one and put the work in,” Olivia said.
