Centurion beauty with a heart for the youth dreams big

The newly crowned Miss South Africa Youth 2014, Belinde Schreuder from Centurion, has a big task ahead of her but she is looking forward to working with the youth in her community.

Mr and Miss South Africa Youth 2014 was hosted by ModelCup at the Lombardy Boutique Hotel in Pretoria on Monday.

Candidates from across the country entered the competition. Individual interviews with the contestants were one of the crucial judging criteria.

The winners, as well as the runner-up in each category, are required to support, assist and act as ambassadors for the youth in their respective community, schools and churches. This is not an ordinary beauty pageant, but one that is focused on ‘beauty with a purpose’ in any possible way, according to the organisers.

Schreuder’s ambition is to engage and educate the youth about group pressure, drugs, teenage pregnancies and the importance of education. She believes that everyone should be given the opportunity to higher education. Currently, Schreuder is also the ambassador for Save-a-Child, a non-profit-organisation.

“I’ve experienced that teenagers do not have anyone to talk to and I want to be that person or help them to have the resources to talk to someone about their problems,” Schreuder said.

Schreuder said her friends regarded her as a good listener and someone with psychological instincts who could easily put herself in someone else’s shoes.

Schreuder also believes that charity should start in one’s community. “Everyone wants to make a difference. However, I believe we should make a difference within our own community by taking hands and reaching out to people,” she said.

It is hard to believe that this beautiful girl has endured any hardship, but Schreuder said her eagerness to help others was moulded by some of her experiences at school. “I am not ashamed to say that I was bullied when I was younger, but because of this, I became a stronger person,” she said.

Schreuder has been doing modelling since the age of three. Her mother, Berdine, said it was easy to get her on the stage but not that easy to get her off. “Belinde was always happy to be on a stage and in front of people. She showed confidence and enjoyed every moment,” she said.

Berdine also said that Schreuder’s love for modelling is self-driven. “As a parent I did not force Belinde in taking part in any of the pageants. She was self-motivated and initiated everything,” Berdine said.

The 18-year-old pupil at Hoërskool Zwartkop has her eye set on fame and glory as a supermodel. “Yet she stays modest and a down to earth girl,” her mother added.

Schreuder recently featured on the front page of Die Oewerhengelaar and will soon appear in Wedding Inspirations. She has done numerous fashion shoots for magazines and even featured in a KFC advertisement a few years ago. She will also feature in singer Ruan Weppener’s new music video Daai song.

After completing school, Schreuder would like to gain experience and get exposure abroad. She hopes to get a contract through her agency, Boss Models, to achieve this.