Saumya Tiwari Gautam (31), a qualified medical practitioner, is the first Capetonian contestant to make the finals of Mrs India South Africa in 11 years – and if she wins, she intends on spreading a message of women empowerment.
Gautam, originally from Mumbai, moved to Cape Town five years ago after marrying a local Capetonian doctor, Siddharth.
She works at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, and chose the field of medicine to give back to the community.
“I want to make a difference in the world and heal those around me. My biggest dream is to serve humanity and I merge my career with this goal in mind,” said Gautam.
Gautam is an ambassador for the Smile Foundation, a worldwide non-profit organisation that aids children with facial abnormalities such as cleft palates.
“I felt the need to be involved in the community and to have a platform to influence and aid women,” Gautam said.
Winning the title of Mrs India South Africa would enable Gautam to spread her message of women empowerment and the importance of supporting one another.
“Women know their self worth and we are already empowered, I want to remind them they are capable of anything they set their minds to,” she said.
Gautam plans to give a voice to the voiceless with her involvement in the pageant.
Mrs India South Africa is a pageant empowers and displays the strength, beauty and moral values of its contestants and South African Indian women. Women of Indian origin that are currently living in South Africa, aged between 24 – 46 years old.
Over 1 200 applicants from across the country entered and the finals will take place in Durban at the Olive Convention Centre on 25 August and consist of 25 contestants.
Picture: Facebook
