Chenoa’s soft spot for toys earns her stature
A 17-YEAR-OLD Durban girl was the youngest contestant at this year’s Woman of Stature (WOS) awards in Johannesburg earlier this month.
Chenoa Brenkman, a matriculant at St Benedict School in Pinetown, was one of three finalists in the Youth Ambassador category, which recognises significant contributions made to the South African public.
Even though she did not win, Chenoa told The Mercury she was thrilled at her performance. “I was a finalist against two other women much older than me. My achievement of just being there was incredible.”
“I feel honoured,” the deputy head girl said.
Woman of Stature became interested in Chenoa because of her initiative of donating soft toys to children in homes in Durban and Johannesburg.
To date, she has managed to donate more than 1 100 toys.
She started the initiative when her school gave her the opportunity to attend Enke, an intensive leadership programme, in Johannesburg last year. There, she was tasked with starting a community action project where she needed to identify a social problem and take measures against it.
“I started collecting soft toys. New, second hand, or even donations, so I could go to hospice and buy some.”
She said she has so far managed to donate to 15 children’s homes from the time she began in July. “About a month-and-ahalf ago I got an e-mail from WOS saying that I was a nominee. I had to send a lengthy biography and was accepted.”
She said being at the ceremony was amazing.
“To be in a room with so many powerful women was incredible.”
She said she faced stiff competition in her group. “Another finalist invented a bag that turns into a desk for children in rural communities.”
Chenoa said she aimed to continue with her soft toy initiative and hopefully turn it into a NPO in the future.
The talented teen is also involved in drama production and public speaking at school.
Next year, she plans to take a gap year to be an au pair in the US. She also plans to do a short course on sound and light engineering in her own time.
When she returns to South Africa she will pursue a qualification in sound and light engineering, to be involved in stage plays and performances.
kerushun.pillay@inl.co.za