Shudufhadzo Musida: ‘I’ve joined the fight against blood cancers in South Africa’
The
former Miss South Africa is using her platform to shine a spotlight on an
important cause.
Her reign might be over, but former beauty queen Shudufhadzo Musida continues to use her beauty for a purpose.
The Miss South Africa 2020 has partnered with international non-profit organisation, DKMS, to raise awareness about blood cancers.
“I’ve joined @dkms_africa in the fight against blood cancers and blood disorders in South Africa. I look forward to helping raise awareness of the urgent need of diversifying the global donor registry,” she wrote on Instagram.
Shudufhadzo says the life-threatening illnesses affect not just the victims, but their entire family.
“The financial burden, impact on mental health, and access to medical care for diagnosed patients and their families are immeasurable. Through this partnership, I will work to add a voice, shine the light and ensure patients receive holistic support.”
The 26-year-old urged her followers to become blood stem cell donors.
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Shudufhadzo won the ‘Beauty With A Purpose’ award at the Miss World pageant in 2021. She won for her ’Mindful Mondays’ project which helped raise mental health awareness on social media.
India, Kenya, England, Kenya, USA, and the Philippines were declared joint winners as well.
“When I stood on the Miss South Africa stage more than a year ago, I pledged to start a mindful movement, and over the past year, we did just that! Through ‘Mindful Mondays’ and ‘Shudu finds her Magic’ we have created a space for so many to share their stories, to listen, to learn and to start the journey towards Mental Health and well-being,” she said at the time.
Her children’s book, ‘Shudu Finds Her Magic’, was launched in September 2021. It was well received by South Africans, who praised her for teaching kids about bullying and the power of friendship.
The book was inspired by her own childhood experiences with bullying.
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Shudufhadzo is a girl on a mission and determined to play her part in order to help make the world a better place.
In August 2022, she was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Global Surgery Foundation.
She aimed to help low and middle-income countries gain access to safe and affordable surgical care.
“The influence of mental health on postoperative surgical outcomes has largely been neglected, even though medical research published as of 2020 has shown that Patients with preoperative mental illness[anxiety/depression] had a higher chance of surgical complications,” she wrote on Instagram.
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Main image credit: Instagram/@shudufhadzomusida