Four women from KwaZulu-Natal are among finalists in various categories of the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year 2012 Award – and you can have your say on who you think should win.
Public votes will account for 30 percent of the final score, although the judges’ decision will be final.
The finalists are:
Good Neighbours Against Crime Category: Sinikiwe Biyela, 34, director of LifeLine and Rape Crisis in Pietermaritzburg.
Biyela was orphaned at the age of 10 and put herself through university, while caring for four siblings.
She works with women and children in distress.
Since 2003 she has worked for LifeLine and Rape Crisis in Pietermaritzburg and been involved in setting up and strengthening crisis centres in 11 hospitals for women and children affected by gender-based violence and rape survivors.
Socio-Economic Business Developers Category: Judy Stuart, a dairy farmer from Curry’s Post, is founder and manager of the Future Farmer Project.
The project helps young people to become commercial farm managers or farmers.
She founded the project seven years ago for ambitious youngsters from poor families to learn farming skills.
Health Caregivers Category: Cwengi Myeni, 69, nursing services manager at Hillcrest Aids Centre.
Myeni grew up in hardship but changed her life and those of others by developing the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust from a limited health-care service to a thriving department that is providing services to poor people infected with and affected by HIV/Aids in KwaZulu-Natal.
She started a Granny Support Group project that now has 1 500 grandmothers being empowered and taught to be agents of change in their families and communities.
She also pioneered the Gogolympics which took place for the second time in March, and brought together more than 1 000 grannies.
Youth Movers Category: Kashveera Chanderjith, 25, the first profoundly deaf chartered accountant in South Africa.
Chanderjith reaches out to communities to inspire, motivate and encourage transformation.
She is an advocate for the rights of deaf people and involved in upliftment projects, including a school that provides free education to the disadvantaged, a multicultural centre, medical camps, and feeding schemes. The event will be broadcast on August 8 and 9 on Mzansi Magic. Visit www.womenoftheyear.co.za – Lifestyle Reporter
