She has started a beauty pageant movement for girls interested in becoming models to teach them about the industry. She also does charity drives to help those in need, donating from food to clothes. “My approach is organic and speaks to the immediate needs that I come across in my community. Some people ask for school uniforms, casual clothes, or food; some need someone to talk to.” She says her approach does not follow traditional donation drives.
“I believe in the power of responding to immediate needs and leveraging the resources available to positively impact the lives of those in my community,” she says. She encourages people on social media to donate their preloved clothes, and she, in turn, distributes these items to individuals who reach out to her for assistance. “Giving back to the community was instilled in me by my mom who had the habit of donating clothes that no longer fit or remained unworn for an extended period. I also volunteer my time to help children with their homework.
I find fulfillment in nurturing their talents,” adds Serekela. Last year, she started to coach primary school girls who expressed a desire to participate in pageants. “They would come to my house and kept on saying “Sis Kayla please make a pageant for us”. She says she did not have the financial resources to start a pageant. “But I have experience from pageantry as I was crowned Miss University of Limpopo (thick madam) in 2019 so I began to coach them. I asked the owner of a local pageant, Miss December, to allow the girls to be part of the pageant without paying registration fees. She was generous enough to allow us to be part of the event,” she says.
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“The experience was rewarding. I was able to utilise a significant donation I got through collaborating with the LadyShiks Foundation and the Wundla Charity Organisation for shoes and clothes from Edgars valued at over R20 000. She says as a young girl, she faced significant challenges due to exposure to abuse. She desired kindness and the belief that someone saw and believed in her. “Art became my escape and a powerful outlet for self-expression.
As I grew older, I transformed my passion for art into a creative initiative, establishing my own makeup business. Through my makeup business, I’ve had the opportunity to train young women to start their ventures,” she says. “In essence, my journey from a troubled past to establishing a makeup business has been one of resilience, self-discovery, and a commitment to uplifting others,” concludes Serekela.
