The Sunday News
Kudzai Mpangi, Sunday Life Reporter
ALL is set for Miss Albinism Zimbabwe beauty pageant to be held at Reps Theatre in Harare on 17 November.
Miss Albinism is the second contest in Africa to be held after Kenya and the first in Zimbabwe. The objective of the event is to raise awareness to people living with albinism.
The founding director of Miss Zimbabwe trust, Brenda Mudzimu, said the event is going to be done on an annual basis.
“Miss Albinism is an event that is going to be done annually and we hope that all goes well since it is the first time such an event is to be held in Zimbabwe. The main aim of this beauty contest is to raise awareness and instil confidence to people living with albinism,” she said.
The beauty contest is going to be a major milestone for people living with albinism as it is going to change the way people have often viewed people living with it.
“I believe that by doing this event it’s going to change the communities that we live in by people realising that we can do anything other human being can do, we are beautiful. I’m sure people will also realise that there is beauty beyond the skin, intelligence and we will be accepted at workplaces and in the community,” she said.
Mudzimu said her experience as a person living with albinism made her form Miss Albinism to fight for people living with albinism.
“It was through my personal experience in which I came across physical discrimination. I had a passion to change the lives of people with albinism, to have brotherly love because we are just the same, just the skin is different and the skin doesn’t define us but the beauty that it beholds.”
Miss Albinism encompasses all provinces in the country. Models from Bulawayo, Kadoma and Gweru have already registered for the contest. There will be 15 models participating in Miss Albinism and four judges have been invited to be on the judging panel.
However, the beauty pageant is facing challenges due to lack of support as compared to other beauty pageants that are held in the country.
“We are facing a lot of challenges in terms of funds and for our programme to become a success it really needs funding. We are hoping to get a lot of support from different sponsors so that this becomes a reality for people living with albinism for them to have something tangible and be proud of,” Mudzimu said.
The tickets for the beauty contest are already on sale online on www.the spotlight.co.zw.-@kayskudzai
