It's Demi-Leigh Tebow's birthday but she is the one giving the gifts.
The former Miss SA and Miss Universe started a fundraiser for her 26th birthday to help raise awareness about human trafficking.
Demi-Leigh launched the campaign last week, asking people to donate to the cause. To date, she has raised over $100,891 (R1.44m)
“I’m so thankful that God has blessed me with another year, even more, I’m so grateful that so many of you guys have helped to affect the precious lives of survivors of human trafficking by contributing to my birthday fundraiser. I’m completely blown away by everyone’s generosity that is benefiting Her Song, one of the anti-human trafficking ministries of the Tim Tebow foundation based in the USA.
“It means the world to me, but even more so, it is the world to these brave and courageous survivors,” she wrote on Instagram on Monday.
She said the campaign reached its initial goal of $26,000 (R371,317) but she wanted to keep helping.
“We’ve completely crushed all of our goals thus far, but I don’t want this to limit us. I want us to keep going, keep pushing for every image-bearer of God trapped in human trafficking, so that they can live a life of hope and freedom, just as God has called us to.”
Attempts by TshisaLIVE to get further comment from Demi-Leigh about the fundraiser were unsuccessful at the time of publishing this story. Any comment will be included in this story once received.
Demi also used the opportunity to recount her own tale of nearly being kidnapped during a hijacking, calling it one of the most frightening moments of her life.
Listen to her story below and learn more about how you can donate here.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 