Ndzhaka dreams of change
'I believe it is unrealistic to expect one to solve a problem during her reign, but you can pave the way and leave a community better off than the way you found them.'
Embarrassment is the cost of entry. If you aren’t willing to look like a foolish beginner, you’ll never become a graceful master.
A local beauty pageant queen plans to use her pageantry influence to raise awareness of reproductive health in youth. Her name is Ndzhaka Khosa, and she is ready to represent the community at the Miss Galaxy South Africa 2022 pageant.
“I am 21 years old and currently doing my third year at the University of Pretoria. I love using cooking as a way to destress. I am a physically active person; I love going to gym, cycling, and hiking. You can say I am inquisitive and explorative,” explained Ndzhaka. She went on to say that she came across an advert about the Miss Galaxy pageant on Instagram.
“The funny thing is when I first saw the ad, I was interested instantly but I talked myself out of entering because I was so scared of putting myself out there. Somehow I overcame that fear and entered,” she said.
According to Ndzhaka, Miss Galaxy is an online women empowerment contest, meaning they use social media as a way to recruit contestants. “I received a notification on my Instagram account that Miss Galaxy has followed me. After receiving this notification, I decided to apply for the pageant and see how things would work out.
“If I were to win the pageant I would encourage young girls to follow their dreams, no matter how incapable they might feel. I would also like to go around educating the youth about the importance of reproductive health. This age group is most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and if they would be taught how to stand up for themselves in this area this could help them deal with it. Lastly, I just want to be present and give my all in every opportunity that I am given as the winner. I believe it is unrealistic to expect one to solve a problem during her reign, but you can pave the way and leave a community better off than the way you found them,” Ndzhaka explained.
While the voting lines closed on July 1, Ndzhaka encouraged the community to support her by attending the finals at The Barnyard in Menlyn Mall on Saturday, July 30. “You can find out more information by checking out my pageant account: ndzhaka.khosa_mg22,” she concluded.
