Adele Segal has long been drawn to all things glitz and glam. So, she kicked off her modelling career and opened her own beauty salon. Behind the curtains, though, her heart beats for the disadvantaged and underprivileged.
It was while finding her feet as a young business owner, that Adéle Segal started dipping her toes into the world of modelling. A few years down the line and she was striking her best pose for the former FHM calendar, ranking seventh on the mag’s list of 100 Sexiest Women in the country at the time.
“I wanted to prove that you can be in any magazine without taking off all your clothes. I vowed to stick to my beliefs and values which was so worth it in the end. It’s about so much more than what’s on the outside. And we, as women need to realise that. It’s so easy to conform to someone else’s image of who we should be. In a noise-addicted world, it’s becoming harder and harder to find your voice. So, when we do find it, it’s so important to hold on to it and stay true to one’s self!”
Although models are often perceived as divas, Adéle loves proving people wrong. In fact, it’s in her nature to put other’s needs before her own. It could have been her mom’s love of teaching children with cerebral palsy that instilled the trait in her from a young age.
“My mom used to teach home economics at the Pretoria School for Cerebral Palsied Learners. And if a child had been left at the boarding school for too long, she’d bring them home for the weekend. Which was almost every week.”
It was only after a few years that she felt something stirring within her. She was at a point where she questioned her purpose in life. Adéle never believed in coincidence. So, she knew it was fate when she received an email about 18 children using the same toothbrush from a local children’s home.
“During this time I had a hubby, a home and a business, but I knew there had to be more? I remember it so distinctly because the thought struck me the night before my 23rd birthday. So, when I received that completely random email, I knew my answer.”
As a result, the toothbrush project was born. Adéle asked all her salon clients bring one to their appointments in support of the cause. Because many hands, right? Before long a toothbrush became a bag of toiletries and the children’s home became basically any institution in need of any kind of help. And so, the Boikanyo Home for Children with Disabilities came across her path.
“I knew I had found my home the moment I walked through that door. It broke my heart to see these underprivileged, disabled children living in such dire circumstances. I just had to help them. The motto on their wall read: ‘Those who are content, will be happy even when sleeping on the floor. But those who are discontent will never be happy, not even in heaven.’ And it just stayed with me ever since.”
For years Adéle devoted herself to helping the home in any way possible. Basic needs. Excursions. Christmas parties. Anything that would help enhance their quality of life. In return she received the priceless gift of love and laughter. Something Adele wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
“Doing this, I realised it’s not so much rewarding, as it is humbling. And my help is barely a drop in the bucket. I know that I’ll never be able to change the world, but I’ve always loved the idea of changing the world for one person.”
More than a decade and two kids later, Adele admits that although life can get busy at times, she still tries her best to reach out to Boikanyo as often as possible. Even if it means simply donating some much-needed goods from time to time.
So, when Adéle isn’t busy with the children’s home, the salon, or striking a pose here and there, she will most probably be found spending time with her hubby, Stephen and kids, eight-year-old Elijah and six-year-old Noa, or simply curling up with a good book.
A nature lover at heart, there is no better place for Adéle to recharge than in the bushveld – maybe because she deems herself a conservationist in another life! No surprise the Segals have at least 15 rescued animals running around their home at any given time, including dogs, cats, three tortoises, a hedgehog and a chinchilla.
It only goes to show that this model would gladly trade her heels for sneakers if it meant changing someone’s – or something’s – life for the better.
“One of my favourite quotes is spoken by Theodore Roosevelt, who said that comparison is the thief of joy. This statement holds true for many reasons. When we compare ourselves to others, we are often left feeling inadequate and unhappy. We focus on what we lack rather than what we have, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction in our lives. And what better way to shift that focus to someone in need of your love and kindness?”
A firm believer that true beauty comes from within!
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Adéle gives 6 ways you can get involved in the community this Spring.
Everyone benefits from fresh starts. No one needs a title or a platform to get involved or volunteer. Anyone is able and capable of doing good in the community. Some offer much needed finances, others offer help and services and then we get those who offer their precious time. Here’s how you can get your hands dirty this new season:
- Spring cleaning charity starts at home! By this, I don’t only mean looking after your loved ones, but also physically cleaning out your house and throwing out the unused items or clothing you have been hoarding for years. This gives you the perfect opportunity to enrich someone else’s life by donating it to the less fortunate whilst simultaneously cleaning out your house.
- Community service. Get involved in community cleaning and recycling projects. If your community doesn’t offer projects where you can clean up the lakes or fields, organise it yourself.
- Gardening. Help a disadvantaged home or orphanage by planting a vegetable and herb patch. This will also ensure they get the nutrients they so desperately need.
- Animals. Help your local SPCA or animal shelter build kennels or shelters for animals in dire need.
- Don’t want to get your hands dirty? Try old age homes. There are so many neglected and forgotten senior citizens in many homes that just want someone to spend time with and converse with. They can keep you intrigued and busy for hours with their life stories. They just need a willing ear to give them the time of the day.
- Underprivileged matriculants. One of my favourite projects and a lovely one to get involved with, is collecting and donating matric dance dresses and suits to those learners not being able to feel special on such a memorable day.
7 Reasons to get involved in a charity project
- You are making a difference in someone else’s life, no matter how insignificant it may feel. The fact that they know someone out there cared enough to visit, donate, or assist may be the difference to them giving up hope or looking forward to another sunrise.
- It keeps you humble and grounded. There will always be people who have more than you, but there are also those who have far less!
- It sets an example to your children to take care of those less fortunate than yourselves. We have to raise a generation who looks after one another.
- By giving to others, you are distracted from your own problems and challenges. It’s a selfless act to focus on improving someone else’s life, while your own life or debt sometimes feel overwhelming.
- It creates alliances and contacts with like-minded people. You meet new people who have the same values as yourself or you strengthen relationships with those who work alongside you to try make a difference and impact in a broken world.
- Learning new skills like time management, leadership, organisation and management skills, problem solving and teamwork.
Text: ALANICKA LOTRIET. • Photographer: STEPHEN SEGAL.
