The Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa pageant recently entered the semifinal round, and three East London locals have their eyes set on the prize.
Yolanda Lefutso, who works as an administration officer with the Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB), describes herself as a “passionate family-orientated person”.
“Mrs SA has empowered me with a platform to bring to the forefront the plight of children with learning difficulties and to raise awareness of the shortage of learning facilities.
“As much as every child has a right to basic education, some applications get rejected, leaving the kids destitute,” Lefutso said.
Fellow contestant Jo Jackson runs Jo Jackson Dance Co & Promotions, and has done so for nearly 20 years.
For Jackson, the journey to Mrs SA started last year, when a friend convinced her to take part in Mrs Eastern Cape, which she then went on to win.
“I then thought ‘wow, I can do this!’” Jackson said.
“I hear it so often, how many moms feel that when they reach 40, their life is over.
“That was a big thing for me as well, to show all the moms out there that anything is possible,” she said.
The third contesant is Marion Marillier, who in addition to serving as director for local NGO Mom.to.many is also pursuing a BA in organisational psychology and developmental studies through Unisa. “My inspiration to enter Mrs SA arose from my passion towards the development of people, in particular the development of women and children.
“The pageant struck me as the perfect platform to achieve that which I plan to do with my life,” Marillier said.
Voting is currently open for Mrs SA and can be done in one of two ways.
Members of the public can go to the Mrs SA Facebook page and like the picture of your favourite candidate.
Alternatively, SMS your candidate’s name to 35959.
For more information about the pageant, visit their website.
