Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
She has graced international runways and conquered the pyramids of Egypt, but for 10-year-old Bulawayo-based model Nomqhele Nikita Mdlawuzo, true royalty lies in service.
The recently crowned Little Top Model Africa 2025 is now using her growing platform to help feed the homeless, joining hands with the Usizo Foundation Trust, led by community champion Sanelisiwe Chipombo from Bulawayo.
Every Sunday, Nomqhele, a learner at Coghlan Primary School, rolls up her sleeves in the streets of Bulawayo’s CBD, not for a photoshoot, but to serve hot meals to the less priviledged.
“No one is too young to help. I help with serving the less privileged with food and I urge other children to help where they can. I’ve been given a chance to make an impact and I’m grateful. If it wasn’t for modelling, maybe I wouldn’t be on these platforms, so I urge others to do what they love and also help those who need the help,” she said.
Her efforts are part of a growing philanthropic footprint that also includes a tree-planting campaign in Sauerstown suburb, where she has planted over 5 000 indigenous trees to promote sustainability. The campaign extends to local schools and hospitals.
Usizo Foundation Trust founder, Chipombo, praised Nomqhele for her rare commitment at such a young age.
“I’m glad to be having Nomqhele on board as we try to help where we can. She’s hands-on, helping us to continue feeding the homeless on the city’s streets every Sunday,” she said.
“It’s not every day that a 10-year-old allocates their time to philanthropic work. I’m also proud that she has been able to grasp the cooking lessons I’ve given her.”
Chipombo, who began feeding the homeless during the Covid-19 induced lockdowns after realising many were surviving off discarded food, said her mission was simply to give back.
“When the lockdowns hit, I just imagined their struggles, people were no longer coming into town, and they had no access to leftover food.
“That’s when I started cooking meals for them.”
Nomqhele’s modelling crown is clearly more than just a title, it has become a tool for impact.
While many would be content basking in the limelight, she is choosing to use her influence to drive change, becoming a role model for young people across Zimbabwe and beyond.
After returning from Cairo, Egypt, where she won at the Little Mister and Miss Africa pageant, she has now been invited to Zambia for a Trade Fair, and in August, she will travel to Tanzania for the Africa Kidpreneur Summit set to run from August 15 to 17 in Dar es Salaam. — @MbuleloMpofu
