Twelve women chose to bare it all for the Naughty but Nice in Napier 2023 charity calendar in the hopes of raising funds for school leavers looking for opportunities after Matric.
Napier, South Africa (07 December 2022) – When you mention the hamlet of Napier, most people picture a sleepy country village. And they are not completely wrong! But a group of Napier women have come up with a novel idea of raising funds for a local charity that might just change your mind.
Amongst giggles, nerves, wrinkles and high spirits, 12 beautiful, courageous local women with big hearts agreed to become calendar girls for a cheeky 2023 calendar that will knock your socks off – and raise money for a great cause.
The funds go to Over Ed (incorporating NADS, a local NGO) which introduces children to arts and culture and equips teens with life skills.
The limited-release calendars cost R250 each and the funds are being used to assist school leavers with opportunities for 2023 in the workplace and at college. One of the youngsters has already secured an au pair position in Germany next year and Over Ed has paid for her visa and passport. Over Ed will further assist her with mentoring to ensure she makes the transition from a small local town to a first-world European country more easily.
Successful international model-turned-photographer, Josie Borain, used her professional skills to create beautiful shots of each lady. Their personalities shine through in the photos and a personalised quote from each was added. Local photographer Steve Baily handled the cover and back group shots.
Lindsay Moncrieff, the founder of Over Ed, says she has been blown away by the positive response. The initial 100 prints are selling out fast. This printing run was made possible by a generous local protea farmer, whose only request in return was that the ladies pose with his proteas in the group photos. The beautiful King Proteas compliment the tasteful, but cheeky, shots perfectly.
The ladies range in age from 49-year-old, stage 4 breast cancer lifer Mari Bezuidenhout to… let’s just say all of the ladies rock their ages with grace and zest!
Local musician, Alida Wood and go-getter Annelize Vermaak were integral in bringing this project to life. As were each of the ladies who participated: Maria Grobbelaar, Nazley Sadie, Heila Snyders, retired teacher Liandé van Eeden and local business owners Anneline Kriel, Kathy Morris, Dee Robinson and Theunie Vorster.
An unexpected benefit for these ladies was a new-found acceptance and appreciation for themselves and their bodies. In the words of Annelize Vermaak:
“We are not 16 or even 30 anymore – that effortless and what is seen as the “norm” kind of beauty is gone. We are women who have lived our lives, our hearts were broken in a million pieces over and over again, but we stood up and we got on with it. We chose love over and over again, we walked over battlefields that scared others profoundly. Still we carried on, we looked ourselves in the mirror in the morning and thought ‘How the hell am I going to do it today?’ Then we put on a smear of lipstick and we did it. So a few dimples, pimples, wrinkles and scars on a body, my dear, is a sign of victory and bravery that this world need so badly, especially the young women that follow in our footsteps and need us to tell them “Be yourself!”
So, if you’re still looking for a unique and special Christmas gift – a gift that will truly keep on giving and make a difference in the community – look no further than Napier Calendar girls’ Naughty but Nice calendar for 2023.
You can order yours via email here.
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