Having Down syndrome hasn’t stopped Mitchells Plain teenager Shumeez Scott from winning two national and international beauty pageant titles, one of which she hopes to collect at an international pageant gala in Mumbai, India, between February 18 and 25.
Neither has the 18-year-old pupil allowed her condition to prevent her from passing the 2017 matric exams, for which she studied at Goodwood’s Filia special school.
Shumeez won the national Miss DS Ribbons4Roses SA 2017 pageant on her birthday on November 30, as well as being the inaugural Miss MWI Phenomenal 2018/19 international pageant winner, who will be crowned during the 2018 MWI International Gala in Mumbai.
This is according to Shumeez’s mother, Bahia Janodien, who will chaperone her to India.
Shumeez will compete again for the international title in 2019 in Mauritius.
The Miss MWI Phenomenal 2018/19 is the first such event in the world for people with special needs, said Jainodien.
But before she can pack her bags for India, Shumeez, who has already received a R10 000 sponsorship towards her travel expenses to India, have to raise the balance of R15 000.
Janodien said: “We are having a fund-raiser, which will be a variety show and farewell for Shumeez on February 17 at Filia (school) at 107 Milton Road in Goodwood in aid of her trip.
"Tickets cost R100 each and people can call me at 071 443 6014 for tickets.”