The stage is set! Let the catwalks begin! The Miss Malawi beauty pageant enters defining moments on Saturday.
This is the second stage in the search for the next beauty queen after the recent countrywide auditions.
The search, or say the regional finals, will begin in Mzuzu and then move to Blantyre next weekend.
Rejoice Kauseni
Rejoice Vilemelechi Kauseni, 22, is a graduate from Malawi Adventist University, Lakeview Campus in Ntcheu, where she did a bachelor of education degree programme majoring in English. She has participated in various beauty pageants, including Malawi Adventist University Miss Freshman and the 2016 Miss Heritage Malawi. She decided to participate in the Miss Malawi contest to inspire girls, especially those who look down upon themselves. “I am not participating in the competition for the sake of fun, money or popularity, but I am doing this because of my patriotic spirit. I want to be a voice to Malawian girls on issues of overpopulation,” she said.
Already, eight girls have drawn daggers against each other as they prepare to strut the runway at Grand Palace Hotel in the green city.
Miss Malawi event spokesperson Africano Phiri says this is an advanced stage of the contest as they seek to select the crème de la crème for the national finals in April next year.
“We are looking at character of the person, beauty and ability to express oneself. We are not looking at one aspect, but a combination of these three,” he says.
Tamara Gwamba
22, is a holder of a bachelor of business administration degree majoring in marketing from DMI St. John the Baptist University of Malawi. She is a model under Sleek Jones Entertainment in Mzuzu and 2017 Miss DMI ST. John the Baptist University. “On my road to Miss Malawi, I expect to gain the sense of achievement, fulfillment, more confidence and to increase my professional and social network so that I can create more opportunities for myself and others in future,” she said. Gwamba wants to use the Miss Malawi crown to advocate for abstinence among the youth and use of contraceptives among married individuals to address issues of overpopulation. “So, if we do not act vigorously against overpopulation, then overpopulation will vigorously hit us back in the face. It begins with us,” she said.
The event last year set the bar high with the crowning of University of Malawi graduate, Cecilia Khofi, as the country’s beauty ambassador.
Phiri says fans should expect more this year.
“Of course, as organisers, we were also overwhelmed last year with the outcome of the event. That gave us a challenge to do more this year. Fans should expect a better competition than last year,” he says.
Contestants in the first leg of the regional finals we interviewed randomly say they are geared up for the competition which is themed Managing Overpopulation. n
