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25 May 2018 Photo Supplied
Kovsies back Margo as Miss SA Top-12 finalist
#MargoForMissSA

Co-director of the non-profit organisation A&M Foundation, hair influencer at Shea Moisture South Africa, part-time teacher and mentor, Margo Fargo said: “I come from a community and background that doesn’t necessarily have all the resources and opportunities for me to be in this position, but that gives me hope, and I have faith that it will encourage someone to believe that it is possible to achieve what you set your mind to, and work for it despite the circumstances.”

Kovsie’s very own Margo Fargo strikes the iron while it’s hot, as she competes in the Miss South Africa Beauty Pageant as a top-12 finalist.

UFS alumni have developed a knack for achieving admirable accomplishments, and Fargo is standing by to take the flight to new heights.

When asked what makes her stand out, the BSc Consumer Sciences honours graduate replied, “My story; no two contestants are the same physically and intellectually, we are all so different and the fact that I am myself sets me apart.”

Fargo believes that Miss South Africa needs to be a leader in countless ways, having a formidable but teachable spirit to continually grow through encounters and experiences. She feels that the candidate should be unapologetic for who she is and be strong-willed, as she represents many people as well as an entire nation. Fargo strongly believes that the Miss South Africa Beauty Pageant is an important institute in the country, as it aids women with characteristic traits and mechanisms that enable them to make a visible and worthy difference in their communities.

“I come from a community and background
that doesn’t necessarily have all the
resources and opportunities for me
to be in this position, but that gives
me hope, and I have faith that
it will motivate someone else
to believe that it is possible
to achieve what, you set
your mind to, and work for it
despite the circumstances.”
—Margo Fargo

The 25-year-old from Heidedal, Bloemfontein, explained that breaking into the pageant industry made her feel like a fish out of water. Fargo found great difficulty throughout the journey to this point in her life; however, she stressed that the rejection she was subjected to was brutal but very much needed, as it has given her a thick skin. She also emphasised the honour it was to be associated with an organisation of the calibre of the Miss South Africa Beauty Pageant.

Fargo dreams of herself as a well-established brand, with her own businesses, doing compelling work that creates sustainable jobs in industries including wellness, entertainment, and working with people. She concluded by saying, “We need each other, for we are stronger together.” The university is proud to count Fargo among its alumni, and the Kovsie community wishes her all the best in this adventure.

News Archive

Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies produces a literary hat trick
2015-12-17

Description: Samantha book cover Tags: Samantha book cover

Three scholars. Three books. One research unit.

Two post-doctoral fellows and a PhD student from Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation (TFR) Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) have each achieved author-status. During December 2015, Drs Samantha van Schalkwyk and Kim Wale, as well as Naleli Morojele will have their books on the shelves.

Description: Naleli Morojele book cover Tags: Naleli Morojele book cover

Dr Van Schalkwyk, PhD in Psychology (UFS, 2014), is leading co-editor of the book A Reflexive Inquiry into Gender Research: Towards a New Paradigm of Knowledge Production & Exploring New Frontiers of Gender Research in Southern Africa. The book is a product of an international symposium she organised in 2013. Dr Van Schalkwyk has made prolific contributions during her three years at the UFS: speaking at two international conferences, and publishing her research in internationally-accredited peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she is also heading a major research project on Gender Reconciliation, based at the university.

Dr Wale is a graduate of the University of London with a PhD (2013) in post-conflict development. Her forthcoming book, South Africa's Struggle to Remember: Contested Memories of Squatter Resistance in the Western Cape is based on her doctoral research. Now that Dr Wale’s book is finished, she will be working with Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela on the analysis of research data collected for a study on transformation – as well as resistance to it – in students’ residences.

 Description: Kim Wale book cover Tags: Kim Wale book cover

Naleli Morojele received her Master of Arts in African Studies in 2014 from the UFS. Her dissertation research was on women political leaders in post-conflict countries, with data collected in South Africa and Rwanda. The review comments on her thesis prompted her to consider turning her research into a book. She spent seven months on this project with support from a global network of mentors affiliated with TFR Studies. The product is the book, Women Political Leaders in Rwanda and South Africa: Narratives of Triumph and Loss. Morojele is currently a PhD candidate. Her study focuses on university women, and explores women’s gender identity in the post-apartheid context.

“I am very excited about the work that these young women have produced,” says Prof Gobodo-Madikizela. “Dr Van Schalkwyk has already been invited by Palgrave Macmillan to consider a contract with the publisher to turn her PhD thesis into a book. It is going to be a very busy and productive year for her.”

A bumper book launch in mid-January 2016 is in the pipeline.

 

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