Young model gives hope to youth
YOUNG and passionate model Irisang Domingo, 12, hosted a successful “Mr and Miss Denim Fever 2023” beauty pageant at the Evangelizing United Church in Phutanang.
The event, which was supported by various modelling agencies, was attended by the Vilakazi sisters, Unamandla and Manqoba, who were crowned Miss Teen Mundai and Miss Pre-Teen 2023 respectively.
Jessica Julius, Mendy de Klerk and Brizodene Louw were the judges, while the pageant focused on five different categories.
The pageant aimed to raise funds and raise the profile of Domingo, who is hoping to travel to Nepal, India, to participate in the Miss Tourism Teen and Queen of the World competitions in August this year.
She was crowned 2nd Princess in Miss Tourism and 2nd Princess in Queen of the World in Pretoria.
She is also a finalist in Miss Toddle and Tween of the World pageant and hopes to participate at the nationals to be hosted in Klerksdorp in October 2023.
Domingo, a Grade 6 learner at Tshiamo Primary School in Galeshewe and a gymnast, has been struggling to get sponsorship in order to boost her modelling career.
Her mother, Cathy Domingo, who is a domestic worker, told the DFA how her daughter has hosted several beauty pageants to raise funds, which turned out to not be profitable enough.
“But looking on the brighter side of these events, we have motivated many young people, who have started showing an interest in modelling, instead of roaming the streets,” Cathy said.
She added that the local youth of Phutanang got the opportunity to showcase their talent through various performances at the events since 2022.
“We started hosting Miss Phutanang in 2022 without any funding, where the interest in modelling grew.
“That is where we were able to show the youth that there are better things to concentrate on instead of being part of the statistics in alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and violence.
“Phutanang has been a notorious township and has been looked down on for years. It is through events like these that we can show people that there are positive things.
“Being a domestic worker who only gets paid to work three days a week, I thought of pulling her out of modelling several times but she keeps on asking me to wait until she becomes Miss South Africa.
“When a child makes such a request she pushes you to work harder.
“I keep on asking myself whether I am going to fail my child in pursuing her dream due to lack of sponsorship. I ask myself whether I will fail to support her to an international level due to a lack of funds, because whenever she goes on to represent her Province or her agency she brings home something,” she said.
