Panache and Trade Route Mall recognized, awarded and celebrated the accolades and achievements of 63 ordinary, extraordinary and incredibly deserving woman of wonder amidst the presence of tons of media and SABC at the "Internationally Accredited" 5th Annual Gauteng "WOW" Women of Wonder & Visionary Awards 2019 which was held on 2nd November 2019. The organization awarded 63 deserving Women of Wonder who received gifts to the value of R 3000 each.
The annual event which occurs across South Africa and internationally, acknowledges extraordinary women who strive to better society and the lives of those in need through various community projects. Lungo Katete was one of the recipients of the Gauteng 5th Panache Women of Wonder Awards. Her message was quoted as, “We all think it’s impossible to salvage what is left on this planet, but the change starts with little decisions we make in our daily lives. If you choose to live in a way that encourages, motivates, and allows us to enhance in not damage our planets, we are already one step closer to achieving the impossible.”
The organization posted on their official Facebook page, captioned, “Heartiest and heartfelt congratulations to all the amazing recipients,you are all incredibly strong warriors soldiering on to give your best and attain your goals and ambitions whilst making a formiddable impact and inspiring and empowering along the way. Thank you to the special @lucypeter for joining in as a past recipient and awarding our Visionary WOW recipients. Kudos To our MC @muhammedmayet for a job well done.”
They also announced the next international destination for WOW, which has been confirmed for the UK together with the Valli Foundation next year, along with their Mauritius and Dubai Annual Wow Awards 2020.
Lungo Katete was crowned Miss Earth South Africa 2019 in September as she won the right to represent her country in Miss Earth 2020. Lungo is a 22-year-old aspiring Architect who recently completed her Bachelors in Architecture at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is an artist in everything she does, from the way she speaks to the way in which she carries herself.
Lungo Katete’s Miss Earth journey has made her appreciate the role construction plays in promoting a healthy environment. “If we build in a way that encourages people to live a healthy lifestyle, want to support the environment and want to make a change, it will be so much easier because it will be in your home and in your space,” said the Miss Earth South Africa 2019 Lungo Katete. The event took place at the The Palazzo at Montecasino where all 11 finalists came together and spoke out about the impact their chosen projects had. The Miss Earth SA is a women's empowerment and leadership development programme, with a focus on sustainability and conservation issues. The programme aims to create awareness of sustainable development, wildlife and the conservation of the natural legacy in the country, by giving young women a platform and the support to do community work. Catherine Constantinides, the Miss Earth national director, said Katete stood out to the judges because of her positive energy, and she wished her well.