Inner beauty

Baby got an autograph from the most popular girl at her school.

“Why is the girl popular?” I asked as she searched in her school bag for her autograph book so she could show me the message. “Is she a celebrity – maybe a TV presenter or model or something?”
“No.”
“What is her claim to fame then?”
The only explanation I could get was that “Ntando is hot!” [ not real name]

Based on Baby’s besotted description of the girl, Ntando is your typical smart, beauty-queen, head-girl type of girl. She's aged about 11 or so, and most girls at the school want to be her or be like her.

“Ntando says if you want to be popular, you must be kind and helpful to other kids at school,” Baby intoned, as if it the message was repeated many times to make it stick. “You must treat everyone with respect, and always protect the ones who are weaker than you are. Then your beauty will shine through from within.”

Nice is cool? How refreshing!

By then I really had to read the autograph to see what message this girl wrote for Baby. “Don’t ever doubt yourself,” she said.

Issues of identity and self-confidence are so important to young girls an it’s nice to see that this really “cool” girl is affirming her peers and passing on such a positive message.

I also hope that Ntando continues to learn from positive role models, and grows into a strong influential woman who spreads the same message.