Beauty helps others in spite of her illness
AT JUST 19, Simara Moodley is slowly climbing the ladder of success and showing the world one can defy the odds. She holds the Miss Teen KwaZulu-Natal and Miss Durban 2015 titles, and is also Miss Role Model South Africa International 2016. All of which the teen beauty attributes to hard work, humility and dedication.
But she’s not just a pretty face. While some teens her age celebrated Christmas with their families, Moodley chose to feed the homeless in the South Beach area.
Last year, she was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) a name given to a collection of autoimmune diseases in which the human immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue. But one thing Moodley does not do is sit at home nursing her condition, instead, she’s extending her hand and helping the community.
“As I grow up I have suddenly realised that I’m on a different mission, I need to put the needs of others before my own. It is more than just participating in pageants for me but it is also about beauty with a purpose and doing good for others,” she said.
She took the challenge of putting together a feeding scheme for the homeless when she saw an advert about the Mzansi Africa Role models Foundation.
Her mother, Jay Naidoo, said it hasn’t been easy adding that it’s through God that she is able to support her daughters dreams and visions.
Moodley and her family do not have any form of sponsorship for the feeding schemes she and her family have to dig deep into their pockets to make this possible.
“My desire is to create awareness and try to get as much sponsorship as possible in order to fulfil the needs of others. Of course one cannot feed the whole country, but I’m doing my part.”
Simara started doing beauty pageants when she was 13 years old but it’s only now that she is actually taking them seriously. She is pursuing her modelling career fulltime.
She was supposed to travel to Australia this month but the flight had to be cancelled because she wasn’t well. She resumes her responsibility as Miss Role Model next year and she will be travelling a lot.