Being crowned Miss SA was the beginning of the work she has been yearning to do.
She has gone at it for the second time and now that she has won the title, Natasha Joubert has hit the ground running.
The 26-year-old has officially Launched her advocacy campaign called Natasha Joubert Collective (NJC).
In a statement about the education and entrepreneurship campaign, she says the project will be a broad one.
“My campaign is a fairly broad one, which is why I am calling it the Natasha Joubert Collective. Education and entrepreneurship are close to my heart and both will be the primary focus of my enterprise. I believe in second chances and see it as my responsibility to create a better South Africa by assisting and facilitating opportunities and possibilities for individuals and communities that deserve a second chance, be it in the form of education, entrepreneurship, food security, period poverty, fashion or water and sanitation.”
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Being as broad it is aims to be, a large chunk of the focus will be on education as she committed when she was crowned in August, building on top of former Miss SA Ndavi Nokeri’s legacy.
This includes partnering with companies and donors to give funds for bursaries and learning programmes as well as helping with the betterment of schools in the form of infrastructure, libraries and mentorship.
Joubert has been working closely with the Miss South Africa Organisation during the past few months creating partnerships and raising funds through various sponsorships.
“A lot of planning and hard work has already gone into the NJC. It is something I started working on even before I entered the Miss South Africa competition. I am determined to make a difference where I can and am looking forward to revealing the first phase of the initiative next week with more announcements to be made in the new year.
“I call on all South Africans to help me achieve my aim. Let’s make sure that nobody falls through the cracks just because they can’t afford it. Let’s make an education a must have for everyone, not just those with money.”
After being crowned, she extensively spoke on resilience and how she turned her fear of vulnerability into strength.
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“By showing up on that stage tonight, I really showed what second chances, perseverance and resilience truly looks like. [When I didn’t make the cut] it felt like failure, so many people witnessed that and to afterwards deal with all the emotional struggles that came with it, I think it’s such a like true inspiration that it’s all about second chances in life. If that message was spread across [the country], then I’m content.”
“The circumstances weren’t always ideal. That resilience was built at a really young age, almost no taking no for an answer. If they say I can’t study, I’ll show you that I’ll study. If they say I can’t drive myself to school, I will win that scooter in a modeling competition to drive myself to school so it’s practice of the small things in one’s everyday life.”
So far in her tenure, Natasha has also partnered with Mofaya to release a Berry Queen flavoured energy drink.
