Al-haadia Shaik fondly known as ‘Diaa’, has her heart and eyes set on the coveted Miss India South Africa title after she was chosen as a finalist of the beloved pageant recently.
Having been modelling for several years, the 24-year-old Bachelor of Laws (LLB) student is no newcomer in the modelling scene and has participated in a number of esteemed beauty pageants, making the list of finalists. Kick-starting her modelling career in 2019, the former Phoenix resident took interest in pageantry, public speaking and youth development – which helped her gain a great amount of self-confidence.
In the year 2020, she was elected into a youth committee, by the then premier of KwaZulu-Natal Sihle Zikalala, which was tasked with promoting youth involvement and providing further advice on the prospect of establishing an 1860 heritage site. In 2021, Shaik was the youngest recipient of the prestigious ‘Women of Wonder’ award for playing an active role as an activist in the Phoenix and Chatsworth communities.
Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Shaik said her activism journey started at the age of 13. “I was born and bred in a little town called Phoenix and moved to uMhlanga in 2022. Phoenix is a fairly developed town, like so many other communities scattered around the globe, it has its own set of societal ills including poverty, homelessness and youth underdevelopment. Being exposed to such societal issues helped condition my world view, but most importantly inspired an agenda deep within me to foster change and advance the cause for social justice. I have always been instinctively drawn to the socio-political landscape of the country and always remain a social activist at heart. I firmly believe that to bring about real fundamental change, one must become an agent for change. This requires that at a critical point as human beings we must set on a path to encompass real change through our everyday activity and community participation,” said Shaik.
Even though her personal and professional life was shaken between 2021 and 2023, Shaik has remained steadfast in achieving her goals and being beacon of hope for youngsters out there.
“At the end of 2021, I sadly lost my dad to health complications and while trying to cope with the loss of a parent together with the demands of completing my degree, I was awarded an opportunity to apply for the role at my current place of employment. My family’s hardships gave me life experiences, which motivated me to always keep working and to never give up on my education. Losing a parent gave me the motivation to work harder in all aspects of my life. I worked well and hard and I was promoted to my current position which is customer relations manager at one of the leading motor companies in March 2022. I believe that life just has its own way of teaching us how precious our time here on earth is because two weeks ago, I lost my mum due to health conditions as well,” said Shaik.
She added: “Losing my dad at 23 and mum at 24 really has shaken me but also given me the strength to take on so much more. I always share my experiences openly for the youth to use it as guideline to know that through hard work and dedication, you can do things on your own. You can make your own life and create your own tables.”
Shaik was selected as a finalist against 20 other hopefuls. With an endless list of achievements under her belt she hopes to inspire young future leaders, not only in her community but from far and wide.
“I am ecstatic, as a young Indian woman in South Africa, its an absolute honour to be selected as a finalist for a pageant that’s been around for over three decades. This pageant focuses on culture and our Indian heritage and I know that I possess the traits of what it really means to be a South African Indian. As a young Indian South African woman, I have always been proud and open about my culture and heritage. I’ve also been honoured to be featured in a book entitled “The Indian Africans” of which I’m very proud.”
“Coming from the environment and community I grew up in, pageantry seemed like something I could only dream of until one day, I told myself that I want to live a life full of memories and not regrets, more so, I am a humanist, I gravitate towards the values of Ubuntu: I am because you are. Pageantry is a platform in which women are given the opportunity to be extraordinary, it’s not just about your appearance but about substance, it’s about one who initiates a positive change, uplifts and empowers their community and someone who leads by example and I believe that with my community participation and dedication to my many causes, I know I am the perfect role model to hold this title,” said Shaik.
The 24-year-old believes that being part of the pageant would not only to be a beacon of hope but a support system to all and that it will assist her into creating “a glowing nation of powerful young leaders” through skills development initiatives. Shaik said this will allow her to create community youth groups in all areas of South Africa where voluntary work and community engagement activities can be fun, educational and a starting point to activism for social justice.
“With this platform, I aim to focus and assist communities with youth career development, skills development, advocating against racism, creating ongoing ways of keeping the homeless fed, assisting animal shelters, spiritual empowerment and confidence building. By doing these small initiatives, I will in my own little way help to bring the positive change in the lives of many around me. The motto I live by is be the change you want to see and I want to change the world,” added Shaik.
The Miss India South Africa Pageant started 28 years ago as an innovative leadership programme, affording young ladies an opportunity to showcase their talent. The 2023 edition of the pageant is expected to be held later on this year, when Shaik and the other hopefuls will know their fate.
