Church women have a chance to shine

Women from the Militini Matiwane Memorial Methodist Church showed off some of their prize outfits during a pageant in Khayelitsha last week.

The women modelled their church uniforms, casual wear and traditional attire at the Solomon Mahlangu Community Hall, and the winners took home goodie bags.

It was a chance to raise money for the church and also let the women have a bit of fun after two years of Covid, during which some of the church’s members had lost loved ones, said event organiser Thozama Ngwente.

“We wanted to remind the women that you are worthy and you must never doubt your abilities and capabilities as a woman. You must always put your wellbeing first and certainly above everything else. We must never feel sorry for ourselves as women,” she said, adding that there were plans to hold the pageant annually.

One of the participants, Nandipha Ngonya, said events like the pageant made the women of the church feel like they were part of a sisterhood.

Church was not just about attending services but also a place to socialise and be yourself, she said.

Tshepo Sikupela, president of the Methodist Church at False Bay Circuit, said the pandemic and the church closures that had resulted from it had taken their toll on people, and the church wanted to use social events like the pageant to revive people’s spirits.