After visiting two children's care centres, 15-year-old Utile Shirindza realised that these disadvantaged children need more than sanitary towels and food. According to her, they are also in dire need of education on bullying, self-acceptance and mental health.
Utile is a Grade 10 pupil at Capricorn High School in Polokwane and was selected as a finalist in the Miss Limpopo Teen beauty pageant recently. She wants to focus on educating children on these matters because she has discovered that people do not only survive on food and clothes in this life, but also need to be around people who love and remind them that they are good enough.
"One would think that one has already learned about life and mastered it, only to realise that there's more to it than what meets the eye," she said. "My visit to some of these centres that look after children showed me that I must focus more on educating the little ones on the dangers of bullying, so that they do not fall victims to [bullying] or end up as the culprits one day."
Utile, who originally comes from Bungeni-Xitachi village in the Hlanganani area, feels that too many young people lack self-acceptance, self-confidence and self-esteem as a result of so many social ills and challenges that further put them in a place where they lack motivation and encouragement to pursue their life's desires.
"If we inject a sense of positivity in the children, they get to feel more positive and optimistic towards achieving more in life," she said.
Utile visited Mtsweteni Child Youth Care and Xitachi Safe Park Care Centre at Bungeni village, where she donated some sanitary towels, food and stationery. "I am so delighted to have made a difference in someone's life," she said shortly afterwards.
She truly believes that if she wants to see change, she must be the change. She extended her gratitude to everyone who lent her their financial or material support that enabled her to donate useful necessities to the children.