Strong character carries the weight and responsibility of a crown with aplomb.
Taking a stand for those often neglected by society, Kereese Kuppan used the runway of the pageant world to amplify her message. Entering the 2022 edition of Miss Deaf South Africa as a novice, Kuppan can now officially call herself a beauty queen. At a glamorous gala event at the Playhouse Company in Durban on September 3, Kuppan was crowned Miss Deaf South Africa for 2022.
Getting off the plane, Kuppan was looking forward more to the experience than the possibility of taking the crown home.
“At that point I was just glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of this amazing journey and that I made the finals. The competition was stiff with so many beautiful and intelligent girls having made it all the way through,” she said.
Even as the moment of her coronation approached, Kuppan’s humility refused to let her believe her name was about to be signed out. “It was literally only after the third princess was named,” smiled Kuppan, highlighting the moment when it became reality.
“I feel incredibly blessed. The crown is a symbol of hope for the many that do not have a voice; it does not represent anything fickle or fake so a lot of hard work lies ahead to go about making a difference,” she added.
In the short space since her reign began, Kuppan has appeared on SABC’s Morning Live but the rest of her immediate itinerary has not been outlined just yet. Her work will centre around charity work and fundraising initiatives, both of her choosing and that of the pageant’s sponsors. Looking to take the journey steps further, preparations will also be made for the Miss Deaf World or Miss Deaf Universe competitions.
Pledging her commitment to making her 12-month reign one to remember, the new Miss Deaf South Africa stated,
“First and foremost I am going to cherish every single day waking up as a representative of all things deaf. I aim to work towards making some kind of difference no matter how big or small in bridging the gap between the hearing and the deaf. Sign language is just another language and should not be seen as a barrier.”
