SA beauty now benefits others

When medical student Suraya Naidoo won the Miss India South Africa title five years ago, she wanted to put her newly won fame to good use.

Naidoo, now a doctor at Durban's Albert Luthuli Hospital, started the Serving Humanity Bursary Fund in 2004.

She said it was important to her to assist those who weren't financially stable.

"I grew up in a less fortunate situation in which my dad, who was employed as a driver and was the sole breadwinner of our family, made my sisters and me realise that financial freedom and success would come from education," she said.

One of the beneficiaries of Naidoo's bursary fund was 22-year-old Avika Ramdhani of Phoenix.

Thanks to the bursary she received in 2004, Ramdhani was able to fund her tertiary education and now works as a special bids manager for IBM South Africa. She now makes monthly donations to the fund.

"Getting this bursary meant that I had the opportunity to get an education, which meant the world to me," she said.

"It has enabled me to improve the lives of my family and myself, and now I hope many more individuals will receive bursaries from the fund."

Bursaries are open to all matriculants. For application forms, e-mail servinghumanitybursary@gmail.com or fax your details to 086512- 4513.