
Born in the East Rand is Lerato Hope Sejako, a Daveyton-based model who aspires to be a leader and a great inspiration to her peers.
Sejako (20) started her modelling journey last year when she entered Mr and Miss Elite Daveyton. She is not only a model but also a student at the Ekurhuleni East College Daveyton campus studying Electrical Engineering.
She expresses her modelling journey as a learning curve and a space where she is able to partake in community development programs.
“My journey has been amazing. l started learning about what it takes to be a leader and also l was given the opportunity to part take in community programs doing soup kitchens, l even got a chance to visit an old age home. l was even a volunteer in recruiting people to save lives by donating blood and all that paid off because at the end l got two titles, l was crowned as second princess and l got a side award of best charity,” she said.
“l carried on doing what l promised myself l would do since l started modelling which was giving back to my community. Last year on Christmas day l did a soup kitchen with some packs out of my pocket, luckily the weather was not looking good and the soup made a difference.”
Keeping to her mandate of giving back to the community, Sejako visited another orphanage early this year donated some of her clothes and got a chance to spend some time with the children at the orphanage which she describes as one of her biggest moments.
“By God’s grace l got to challenge myself from a local pageant to the nationals,l got the opportunity to enter a national pageant named Miss Interactional SA first edition, l started as a quarter-finalist and l was provided with activities that helped me to earn a spot as Miss Interactional SA Semi-Finalist 2024. As a semi-finalist, they gave me an individual activity to do my charity work.”
On the 18th of April, Sejako did her charity work by donating shoes that were given to her to give back to the community and it was a success.
She explained that giving out is a way for her to give people hope and that we recognise and love them.
“l started modelling because l saw the struggle of many people and l want to help in any way l can. This goes along with my advocacy which is the act of giving back and its importance. I am planning to use social media as a platform to raise awareness about certain issues that affect not only my community but the whole of South Africa.
“My wish was to share my story with everyone that it is possible to make it despite where you coming from, and yes my mother is a domestic worker and she is my role model, she is my motivation in terms of not giving up, same to my brother who has always shown his support and to the rest of my family they pushed me,” she added.
In her conclusion, she said the reason she believes that she should be the next crowned Queen for Miss Interactional SA is because she matches all the qualities of the pageant and with her dedication and hard work she pledges to do all her activities and be a good representative for the crown and also for the organization.
“What l love about Miss Interactional SA is that we always have something to challenge ourselves with and it has taught me and others the importance of interactions and to believe more in materialistic charity and building relationships with the people in our communities,” she ended.
By Simphiwe Nkosi