Donna Collins
Swakopmund – Little five-year-old pageant queen Laliq Cat Adams is like a ray of sunshine, spreading her act of kindness wherever she goes, and through her successful charity drive has become the blue-eyed darling of the many needy and non-profit organisations in Namibia.
She’s a “princess with a purpose”, combining her world of participating in South Africa’s leading ‘tween’ beauty pageants with her growing charity organisation ‘Cat Adams Act of Kindness’, which requires making countless donation appearances.
Known mostly as Cat, the child beauty queen started taking part in pageants when she was only three years old. It was suggested at the time that her parents start a page for charity work, which is a big judging criteria, and it took off from there. Already this year she has participated at the Princess with a Purpose pageant in South Africa, and was crowned 1st Princess, Best Charity, and was awarded as the Best Namibian participant.
Cat is also a finalist for another major charity-driven pageant Toddler & Tween of the World to be held this August in Klerksdorp, with over 200 entries. She has participated in a total of four major pageants, and each time has won crowns and categories, plus was awarded best in Charity, which included an autism awareness campaign. But the glitz and glamour of ‘tiaras and tweens’ beauty competitions are just secondary to the real work that beats behind this little girl’s compassionate heart.
Since starting her charity project she has left a trail of generosity in her wake and has become a shimmer of hope in the lives of the less fortunate and the needy. Her mother, Celene Adams, is behind her daughter all the way and the family is the engine turning what has become one of the most endearing and fruitful charity projects in the country, which was started over four years ago.
“It’s not all about pageants, but to teach her about giving and making a difference, whether it’s helping animals or people in need, as well as taking care of our environment – we make sure to cover a broad spectrum of different charities and find ways to help,” says her proud mother.
“Cat is still so young but we can already see which charities she enjoys most and is more comfortable doing. Her focus leans towards the elderly, the animals and the cleaning-up campaigns for the environment.”
Amongst the list of donation recipients, Cat has given to orphanages, underprivileged schools, old age homes, Have-A-Heart Spayathon, food and shelter for township animals, the Tsumkwe Bushman community, SPCA, state hospital maternity ward, to mention just a few.
“If we can raise the next generation to care a bit more about animals, people in need and the environment, and for them to stand up and try and make a difference, there will be hope in this world,” says Celene, adding that Cat loves to sort out the donations and pack the parcels once she has explained which cause the donation is going to.
“We are gaining more support from the community for her Cat Adams Act of Kindness, with more people reaching out to us with donations, old clothes, toys, food, pet food, baby hampers, blankets, you name it, which all get distributed to a needy cause.”
The mom says that they distribute around the country to places such as Tsumkwe, Tsumeb, Henties Bay, Rehoboth, to mention but a few. Parents and teachers at Cat’s school, Treintjie School/WAP, were also roped in and help support her projects where they can.
Meanwhile, when this little pageant princess isn’t spreading joy, and entering pageants, she is quite the go-getter on the Moto-X track and owns her own 50cc KTM bike, which she races. She is also a trampoline gymnast, but most of all she has a heart of gold and is destined for bigger things. This year she will complete the MX season, appear in the big international pageant in Klerksdorp plus two small ones in Windhoek, as well as attend to her many charity obligations throughout the year.