Sheriff is a finalist in pageant
HER work may be considered a male domain but Durban deputy sheriff and Mrs India Glow TV finalist, Farhana Breda is all about breaking stereotypes.
“A woman has many facets and, through this job, not only have I learnt to be tough but an analytical thinker and now I have the opportunity to be a beauty queen,” said Breda, 34, of Reservoir Hills, the only female deputy sheriff in the Pinetown jurisdiction.
“I am striving to show other women that they can be anything they want to be,” she added.
“I really love my job, which entails serving and executing of all court processes within the jurisdiction, and coming this far in the pageant is already an achievement. For me, success is not measured by the position you reach but by the obstacles you overcome while trying to succeed.”
She said she had been through trials and tribulations and thought it fit to encourage other women to believe their lives would be happy again.
“When I entered I wasn’t confident and was shocked when I got a call that I was a finalist. It all became so surreal. I went through a bad relationship with my child’s father during my entire pregnancy and decided to walk away when my daughter was 10 months old.
“I then started working again at a call centre and a computer distribution centre before joining the sheriff’s office to build myself up. I had to put my daughter in a daycare, which is difficult for any new mother. Then a few months into working, I went for an interview at the sheriff ’s office and started as a data capturer gaining knowledge of the different court procedures. And in February 2014 I started my job as deputy sheriff.”
She said being divorced, and a single parent, was one of life’s greatest tests.
“A divorced woman has to have the courage of both parents, physically, emotionally, financially and mentally. I believe being in a contest such as the Mrs India Glow TV will not only showcase the beauty of women but it will show the different levels they must endure to be great.”
She continued: “Some women live hard married lives, so being divorced is not to be looked down upon. It takes a strong woman to remove herself from a situation. Many people will look and point at her but she must remain brave and hold her head high for herself and her children.”
Breda, who described herself as being “a simple girl next door”, added: “I would like to be a beacon to those who are in difficult relationships to move on, find jobs and be empowered not only for themselves but their kids.
“They must know they can stand up on their own two feet and uplift themselves out of their time of darkness.”
The pageant will take place at the Olive Convention centre on August 25 and will be screened on Glow TV.