Cape Town - Mitchells Plain teenager Shumeez Scott, who has Down syndrome, has been awarded a lifetime contract with Cape Town’s Ace Model Agency.
The contract came as a surprise to Scott and her mother Bahia Janodien when it was presented on Sunday during a modelling show they had organised for children with Down syndrome in Athlone.
The show saw 23 aspiring models take to the catwalk.
The show was hailed as groundbreaking in that it was the first one to feature children with Down syndrome as models.
Scott was crowned the Face of Miss MWI (magnificent women icon) Phenomenal SA 2018/2019 pageant, which she won in Cape Town in March.
Of Sunday’s surprise, Janodien said: “It was wonderful. I have no words to describe the success of the event. The models were simply phenomenal. They were aged from 18-38. I would like to thank the various sponsors for making the show a great success.”
Idols SA winner Paxton Fielies was the speaker at the event.
Janodien said her daughter would head to Nigeria where First Lady Aisha Buhari will host her at a gala dinner before the Mitchells Plain teenager is crowned with the title of Miss MWI Phenomenal International 2018/2019.
“Shumeez is taking on the world, and we know she will succeed. She would also like to progress further with learning to read and write, but for this she needs to attend a special school where the tuition costs are very high,” said Janodien.