Can Miss Earth SAclean up globally?

THE STAR / 5 OCTOBER 2017, 1:53PM / KARISHMA DIPA

GOING GREEN: Miss Earth South Africa Irini Moutzouris poses for a photograph at her farewell in Montecasino as she departs to represent South Africa at the 2017 International Miss Earth in the Philippines. Picture: Nhlanhla Phillips /ANA
Irini Moutzouris has been Miss Earth South Africa for less than a month and she has already been tasked with a mammoth duty.
The 22-year-old, will fly to the Philippines tomorrow to represent the country at this year’s International Miss Earth.

This will see the Klerksdorp-born beauty queen and environmental activist compete against hundreds of other women from around the world.

Apart from the usual pageantry, the global competition is a platform to discuss environmental issues such as climate change and waste.

During her launch party at Montecasino in Joburg yesterday, Moutzouris said she was thrilled to be part of the competition.

“I’m so excited for everything that’s coming my way and to share the good work we do here with the world.”

Moutzouris, a bachelor of education student at the University of Pretoria, listed the #WasteStopsWithMe campaign, a clean-up initiative in Joburg, as one of the projects she is most proud of.

Another thing she can’t wait to show off is her national costume, designed by Sonwabile Ndamase from Vukani Fashions.

The outfit, which she modelled yesterday, reflects South Africa as the rainbow nation as it incorporates the Ndebele, Zulu and Indian cultures.

Moutzouris’s evening gown was also designed by a local designer. For this category, she will wear one of José de Canha’s creations.

The theme for this part of the pageant is “Warriors of Climate Change” and the designer has portrayed this in a full-length grey gown with sparkling embellishments.

During the launch, director of the programme Ella Bella Leite said that although Moutzouris had just been crowned, she was ready to compete in International Miss Earth.

“She is ready, she is passionate and she is committed.”

Leite said that during her time in the Philippines, Moutzouris would do a range of activities which she didn’t usually do in South Africa.

This would include engaging with over 100 women and chatting to them about the challenges in their countries - and coming up with solutions to some of the many issues affecting the environment.

She said that one of the aspects closest to the Miss Earth SA initiative was waste.

“It’s not just rubbish waste, it’s energy waste, water wastage and the wastage of our natural heritage.”

Leite added that such initiatives were important as we all needed to learn how to give back to the environment because we take from it daily.

These sentiments were echoed by the executive director of Miss Earth SA, Catherine Constantinides, who said: “Climate change will be the biggest challenge we face in our lifetimes and it’s up to us to realise that we will be the catalyst for change that will push our countries towards a greener tomorrow.”

https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/can-miss-earth-saclean-up-globally-11497747