Yvonne Taufa on her wedding day. Picture / Supplied.
Meet the fairy godmother helping South Auckland girls become princesses on ball night. Yvonne Taufa is instilling confidence in teenage girls, through her new South Auckland-based charity Cinderellas Project. Yvonne will be speaking at the Festival for the Future as one of their "Young Innovators". The event will kick off in Auckland for the first time next month.
Who is Yvonne Taufa?
I
am a youth mentor for Affirming Works who loves working with young people - particularly young women, helping them to feel loved and, most importantly, valued. I believe that everyone deserves to feel beautiful.
What is Cinderellas Project?
Cinderellas Project is a fledgling charity that I recently kickstarted. It provides dresses, shoes, hair and makeup for girls to ensure they can attend their school ball with confidence, regardless of their family's financial situation.
We accept ball gowns, bridesmaids' dresses, makeup and shoes, which are then gifted to young girls who come to us in need. During my time as a mentor, I have noticed that many of the girls we work with find ball preparations stressful, and some have never had the opportunity to get dressed up and present themselves with confidence.
