The Sunday News
Rebecca Nyathi Sunday Leisure Reporter
FORMER Miss Earth, Sandisiwe Bhule, recently started working on a programme which provides educational and social support for young people in the country.
The programme is called Footprints.
It concentrates mainly on tutoring and mentoring young children. The 26-year-old Bhule said she started the programme last year with about 20 children due to financial constraints which somewhat delayed its take off.
“In Bulawayo the programme started last year at Princess Margret Primary School. We currently have about 42 children, 18 in Grade Six and 24 in Upper Six. We are also working with the community to provide sporting activities as well as promoting blood donations and we have elders who take part in our sporting activities. For example, we have the Good Gogos competition where the elderly will be competing in many sporting activities and its exciting, funny,” she said.
“I am also working on a project called Environment Matters. Through it I laid a foundation for future environmental work through sustainable community sourced and implemented solutions. I also set up environmental clubs in different schools to set a standard of environmental living and inculcate in them a sense of responsibility and care to the environment at a young age.”
Bhule expressed hope that she would continue with environmental issues, and is sure not to tire any time soon before she realised her dream of creating an environmental conscious generation in communities. She also noted that her main goal was to help children realise their educational dreams through her support and to keep Footprints expanding. Besides her personal work, Bhule continues with her modelling career and through it she also hopes to impart positive values to the youths and the society as a whole.
“I want to inspire as former Miss Earth and as an individual and to contribute positively to the society. After becoming Miss Earth I gained confidence in doing a lot of things. I remember I used to be a Tom-boy, never bothered myself with make-up or anything that drives girls crazy these days. I am the first person to be crowned as a beauty queen with dreadlocks. My point is, I want to inspire today’s youths to be who they are and be proud of being Africans,” she said.
Bhule is also part of the campaigns that educate urban and rural people on climate changes and waste management.
