Former Mrs BCM and mother of five, Zukiswa Mbali Omoloye from Greenfields in East London, opened up her heart and her wallet and hosted a soup kitchen, offering warm food and drinks to about 40 homeless and needy people, inclusive of children, women, and men at the Moth Hall in Southernwood on 1 November 2025.
She also donated a lot of pre-loved clothing items she collected from her friends, family, and churchmates since earlier in the year.
She told the Express that being Mrs BCM 2023 was the highlight of her life, and given an opportunity, she would do it over and over again.
“My journey with the pageantry taught me a lot, but most of all to be myself, to believe in my capabilities, and to be a resilient woman. But most of all, it encouraged me to live my dreams. I now understand that this is not only about being a beauty queen, but it also gives a person the responsibility to inspire others positively and motivate them as well. To empower and to uplift their communities,” she said.
Omoloye, who has been happily married to her husband, Israel Omoloye, for 13 years now, said she hosted the soup kitchen to alleviate hunger but also to ignite a sense of hope in the people of Southernwood.
“I chose Southernwood simply because there are a lot of young people in the area, many of whom we all know are unemployed and some have resorted to pickpocketing, becoming petty thieves, and doing drugs.”
She said the little smiles from the children and the heartfelt thanks from the adults made the effort worthwhile.
“It was my first soup kitchen, but it went incredibly well. I would not have been able to pull it off without the help of my husband, sisters, and the Twelve Apostles Students Association.”
