Wilro Park woman nominated for prestigious award
Riana Scheepers is a finalist at the 2017 Woman of Stature annual rewards
A 40-year-old Roodepoort businesswoman has been nominated for an award at the annual Woman of Stature (WOS) Woman of the Year Awards.
Riana Scheepers, a Wilro Park resident, has been nominated in the Director’s Special Award category, where she will be competing with three other women.
Riana said that the the Director’s Award is an award to honour women who have suffered a traumatic personal journey. “The founder of WOS, Charlotte du Plessis selects these women. The women represent a strength and tenacity and make a difference in the world by empowering others and bringing a message of hope,” she said.
She said that her nomination had come as a huge surprise to her, but feels that she was nominated because the things she has done in her community and as a South African citizen have not gone unnoticed. “I think it was more a case of what I did not do – I did not give up. I have always been involved in helping someone in need and looking for ways to uplift other women,” she said.
She is involved with a number of campaigns and programmes which focus on the upliftment of women. “I am the co-founder of iCareSA, an organisation that assists any pregnant mother with a basic care bag to help her care for herself and her newborn. The programme is currently being redesigned to include more preventative programmes focusing on everything an unplanned pregnancy entails and the available solutions,” Riana said.
She is also the founder of Soapbox Events, which provides a platform for people wanting to share a testimony, a story of strength, a poem, a song, or anything that will encourage the next person. “It is a great place to connect with people on a level that is not easy to tap into, and is open to any school, office, church or person,” she said.
She said that it is an honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award, especially one for such an empowering cause. “I feel I am still working towards reaching my goals. I have been doing many things from a young age to help, uplift, or strengthen another person, and am still doing it. I realised that God truly rewards those who do good to others – especially if you do not seek any recognition or boast about it. I have accepted this nomination purely for that reason,” she said.
Her message to other women aspiring to achieve their goals and with it, success, is simple, “Every person is born with a purpose. Eliminate fear, and remember, through God’s grace you can!”
The awards ceremony will take place at Emperors Palace on 11 March and 30 women will be competing for one of eight awards.
“We look forward to a house packed with women and men alike to celebrate this iconic event – all for a good cause!’ said Charlotte.
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