KNYSNA NEWS - This year's Miss Pearl Ambassador, crowned at a pageant during the Knysna Oyster Festival, is focused on improving lives.
Tracy Tichivangani, 41, who lives between Knysna and Wilderness, has worked in the hospitality industry for the past 11 years, previously managing hotels and guesthouses in the region, and now the sales manager for a Garden Route hospi-tality manage-ment company.
"My passion is community empowerment - I love to see women and children empowered, by means of education and skills development programmes which can help them change their lives for the better.
"Before winning this title, I was involved in community work. I hosted tea parties for women, to get together, and invited motivational speakers to uplift them," Tichivangani said.
That had led to many attendees taking up studies and becoming involved in volunteer work, especially at homes for the aged.
"When I'm off from my 8-5, Monday to Friday job commitments, I normally put my time to use. I also go occasionally to Vermont Old Age Home in Knysna to volunteer as a caregiver since I'm a healthcare assistant.
"I normally work night shifts there - however, from time to time I also go help with garden and general maintenance, to promote a safe, clean environment for the elderly in that particular home."
Skills academy
She planned to start a skills academy on the Garden Route where men and women "will have an opportunity to learn a skill which can help them improve their livelihoods. This will help reduce poverty".
"Another plan I have is to run awareness campaigns in the area, which will focus on mostly the youths.
"The campaigns will target the most daunting issues which are already crippling the standards of our villages, towns and cities - teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, gender based violence, farm murders, depression and anxiety.
"I'm also going to work hand in hand with local charity organisations in the area. Together we will do our level best to assist the disadvantaged families, orphanages, and disaster management, wherever and whenever we can."
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