EMIHLE MBANGATHA
The annual St Luke’s Kassie Modelling Show saw Amy Fourie and Kirah Poyo crowned at Miss Teen and Miss Tween respectively for 2024 and will go on to join Just Models Modelling Agency for 12 months to develop and expand their potential in modelling and entertainment.
Held on September 28 at the Khanya Centre in Buffalo Flats Extension, the show is a community-based initiative founded by Lana Augustine in 2019.
Amy and Kirah are joined by fellow contestant, Michaela Julies who was crowned Miss Personality. All three winners also received prizes generously sponsored by Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park and others.
The show was started in the face of the lack of recreational activities in the Buffalo Flats area for youth in 2019.
Augustine said she believed that starting a modelling show may give young people from the community, a broader sense of life’s possibilities.
Augustine said: “I would ask the children what their ambitions were when they grew up and they could never answer because they have so few examples in their community of what personal and professional success looked like.
“Our area is vulnerable to the worst social problems including unemployment, substance abuse and violence. For the children, being witness to these problems can give them the impression that this is all their life will amount to.”
Augustine settled on hosting and introducing a modelling show to the community, to teach the children inner confidence and appreciation of their own unique beauty — lessons intended to bolster their belief in themselves despite their circumstances.
The show has been running every year, barring the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and has made inroads into improving and developing the confidence and interpersonal skills of the young participants which range from 10-18 years old.
She said: “New friendships are formed every year among parents and contestants, which means that people are growing closer to one another through the competition, improving our sense of connection and community with each other.
“Children that were introverts are now coming out of their shells and those that didn’t have confidence now steal the show at rehearsals — shocking even their parents.”
Augustine believes that recreational activities represent a lifeline for children’s development in Buffalo Flats because it assists in shaping their self-esteem, teaching them social skills, and emotional resilience in a fun, low-pressure environment.
When children achieve personal milestones or contribute to group achievements, their confidence grows, fostering a sense of accomplishment.
Recreational activities like modelling shows also teach children to handle challenges and setbacks constructively, boosting their resilience.
By participating in these activities, children learn how to interact with peers, express themselves, and navigate social dynamics.
Augustine said the show would not have been possible without support from Just Models Modelling Agency, Khanya Centre for Youth Development, Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park and dedicated parents.