Rolene will be spearheading a new charitable initiative for herself and future Miss World title-holders raising funds toward bursaries for disadvantaged young girls in South Africa in order to train them to become doctors.

Last night she announced that Miss World’s ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ campaign will join forces with the ‘Tomorrow Trust’, and Cell C for the charitable initiative.

Rolene says: “The statistics in South Africa breaks my heart. For every 100 South African students only 51 make it to senior year, only 40 graduate high school, only 16 qualify for University or College and in the end only 2 will graduate with a degree. I’d like to help change these statistics. As a woman and a medical student, I believe education empowers women with knowledge, skills, self-confidence and social and economic status. These qualities enable women to become actively involved and participate meaningfully in our global economy. Given the number of young women who are uneducated and unemployed and therefore vulnerable in every possible way, the education and mentoring of girls is critical.”

At the birthday gala dinner held on the tenth anniversary of Tomorrow Trust’s, Rolene said “I want to see at least 20 young girls become qualified medical professionals over the next several years. We plans to add an additional 10 girls to the project each year...” for which she has the full support of the Miss World Organisation’s ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ program.

‘Beauty with a Purpose’ was created by Miss World CEO Julia Morley, over 40 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to support the disadvantaged in over 100 countries through this program.

Julia has expressed her deep appreciation for the work of the Tomorrow Trust. “We are proud to give the campaign our full support. We have pledged over R100,000 to the project tonight and hope to see corporations from all over the world join the campaign.”

Rolene added “This will not only improve the lives of the young girls who are given this opportunity, but over time as they qualify,  it will transform the medical care that they will give back to their communities”.

Strauss has called on corporate South Africa to donate a bursary, “I know we can do this; I have seen our nation come together to work for the greater good. We’re remarkable when we put our collective minds and hearts to work,” she says of her project, which calls for a collaboration between the private and public sectors along with ordinary citizens.