Pretoria - In a different world, 13-year-old girls are not too concerned about what they would want to be in the future, but beauty queen Molebogeng Peu is already eyeing the Miss SA crown.
Peu, from Block VV in Soshanguve, is currently the first Princess of the Face of Little Miss Township SA Teen 2023 finalist representing Pretoria.
She is also a model who dreams of being a medical doctor, and describes herself as a young beautiful and bubbly girl from the township.
However, she says because of her petite stature she was bullied at school, prompting her to get into modelling, which has boosted her confidence.
“I started modelling last year where I bagged the fourth position of Junior Miss Cosset. This year I was crowned Miss North Angelos Christian College in Pretoria North, where I attend school.
“I want to see myself going far with modelling, I want to enter Miss SA,” said the teenager.
She recalls seeing some members of her family who were in ill health struggling to get medical care and believes that if she becomes a medical doctor after finishing school she’ll be able to help people who are sick.
Her ambition is inspired by her grandmother who was a nurse and her role model, but sadly she died during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Peu, who comes from a family of five, says her mother who used to be a model when she was young, and she played a role in helping her strut her stuff on the catwalk.
“I was inspired by Zozibini Tunzi, who was Miss SA 2019. So I fell in love with modelling.
“Many people don’t understand anything about modelling. It becomes a challenge for my peers. I wish they can introduce teaching around townships so that children can learn and be interested in modelling,” she said.
She described the Face of Little Miss Township SA Teen, founded by former Mrs South Africa finalist Koketso Makua, as the epitome of defining beauty.
Makua is a former Miss SA finalist who discovered the empowerment programme, established in 2019.
The programme was developed after a gap for a formal beauty pageant was identified that was focused on reshaping the narrative of women who come from the township, not only of their surroundings but of themselves.
The project has thus far distributed more than 18 000 sanitary towels to young girls across South Africa.
“The programme does not discriminate against anyone. It’s a sisterhood programme that believes that beauty is not outside but also inside, encouraging us to believe in ourselves and be go-getters.
“The organisers are also teaching us sign language. We are also doing a sanitary towel drive, helping young girls who are in need,” she said.
Peu was recently interviewed by Ga-Rankuwa FM about her journey as an up-and-coming model. Her first radio interview has also boosted her confidence in the Soshanguve community where she has become something of a public figure.
“People in my township have started looking at me as a role model. Even the small kids constantly want to be around me, calling me a celebrity because I’d like to believe I inspire them.
“I feel great and I’m learning a lot on my journey. I never thought I would ever go to a radio station for an interview.
“But I did, and I’m so happy to be the Face of Little Miss Township SA teen finalist coming from Soshanguve,” she concluded.
The township is situated about 30km north of Pretoria, near Mabopane and Ga-Rankuwa, and boasts public figures such as artists Black Motion and producer DJ Maphorisa, as well as award-winning actor Warren Masemola.
Pretoria News