Mrs Eastern Cape 2023’s shares her goal to build a drug rehabilitation centre in memory of her late brother.
Beauty pageants are often not recognised for their true purpose: giving a platform to someone who can make a difference. This is especially true for Mrs Eastern Cape 2023, Christie-Leigh Heidi Gouws, a Despatch-based NMB resident, who grew up in Uitenhage/Kariega. Christie-Leigh’s main goal in her reign as Mrs Eastern Cape is to build a drug rehabilitation and safe house, in the Nelson Mandela Bay surrounding areas, with the assistance of her fundraising events. We caught up with Christie-Leigh who shared her story, goals and vision with us.
How did you get involved with modelling?
I have been modelling since the age of 5. My Mom and Gran saw a talent in me and signed me up with a modelling agency. I have been in and out of seven modelling agencies since. I am, now, in my pretraining teaching course to become a modelling coach and teacher proving that, even at the age of 27, it’s never too late to achieve your dream. Modelling and charity work is a part of my everyday life
How would you describe your title to our readers?
The title of Mrs Eastern Cape is all about what you can do for and give back to the community. I have the opportunity to work for the Rolemodels Foundation and to collaborate with Mzantsi Pageants, which hosts Mrs Eastern Cape Pageants.
Rolemodels Foundation is an amazing organization to work with. They are an NPC that strives to bring hope to impoverished communities through education and skills development across South Africa. One of the ongoing charity campaigns for Rolemodels, is the Poverty Sucks-Lollipops for Charity, which sell lollipops at R10 each as a way to gain funds to reduce the effects of poverty in communities.
Nurturing children and assisting troubled communities and families has always been close to my heart, even more so because of my own family’s story. My goal, amongst others, during my reign as Mrs Eastern Cape 2023, is to build a drug rehabilitation centre and safe house in honour of my brother.
Can you share your brother’s story with our readers?
My brother and I were extremely close. He was an amazing older brother that always looked out for me. He was one of the best rugby players and very intelligent. His life path took a different turn, after Matriculating, when he was introduced to drugs. He struggled with addiction for many years, where he would have months of deep, dark struggles with addiction. He would then go to rehab, be clean for a year and a half, sometimes 3 years, then unfortunately go back into the cycle. Unfortunately, it had come to a point where our family could no longer walk his journey with him. He had become involved with gangsterism and found himself deeper in the spiral of drug addiction. He then found himself with the added pressure of being unemployed, despite his constant job applications. This led to him choosing unsafe ways to make money and got him involved with people who didn’t value his life as much as we did. He passed away on 09 October 2019, the most devastating day of my life. I lost a part of me, I know it sounds crazy, but I shared a lot of his feelings; when he was sad, when he was happy, even when he was going through withdrawal.
How does your brother’s story inspire you?
His story inspires me to raise awareness about the devastating effects of drug addiction and the destructive path it can take you down. My brother had so much value that was dulled by addiction. People, especially young people, need to understand the dangers of drugs, especially in a time when they are so readily available. Drugs can affect any family from any background. It takes children away from their parents and loved siblings from siblings they leave behind. It takes parents from their children-my brother left behind two beautiful sons, who are fortunate to have amazing mothers.
He had a good heart, he was charitable and never gave up, even when he was struggling. He looked to me as his role model, but drugs got the upper hand.
What would you like to share with others from this heartbreaking life event?
I want people to understand just how badly drugs can affect others. From the addict to the parents of the addict, the siblings, children, spouses, and friends. Drugs have painful consequences that shake the world of everyone it encounters.
I want parents to be aware of what is happening in their children’s lives, take an interest, ask hard questions, and get them the help that they need. Invest in your children every day, no matter what they’re going through.
How do you hope to make this rehabilitation centre dream come true?
My family and I are going to work very hard to get donations and host charity events, we’re hosting an event on 14 October: Run for Charity and Drug Awareness Day. We will keep on pushing until we can reach the amount that we need to build our drug rehabilitation centre, which will also act as a safe house for those who need to be kept safe from the people they have met, in their journey with drugs, that may want to harm them.
How can your community help?
By supporting me in my charity drives and events. I already get tremendous support from my immediate community, to be honest, but I’d love for people to share my story and help it reach more networks. The further the awareness, the closer we are to reaching our goal as a family and for myself, as a representative of my province and hometown.
Last few inspiring words for our readers?
I have so much to share in this amazing role I’ve been given. I want people to have trust in my ability to assist those who need it because I can relate. I’ve lived a life that has dealt me many experiences, which I feel can further my God-given mission to help children and people who are facing problems.
My heart beats for my community. I will do everything I can for them.
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