The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
REIGNING Matabeleland North Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ) queen Monalisa Tafirenyika has been named provincial co-ordinator of the new Miss Zimbabwe Grand 2020 pageant.
Tafirenyika (22) who is a final year Geography student at Lupane State University, was crowned MTZ provincial queen last year in July. She was identified by reigning Miss Pan African queen Pauline Marere at the MTZ finals in Mutare last year to be part of the new Miss Zimbabwe Grand 2020.
Others are Miss Teen Zimbabwe 2019 Ayanda Candice Sibanda from Bulawayo and MTZ Manicaland, Rutendo Mafuratidze.
Marere is using the Miss Zimbabwe Grand 2020 to select a queen who will represent the country at the 2020 Miss Pan African final to be held later in the year in Nigeria, where she was crowned last year.
Each province will have its own Miss Zim Grand 2020 provincial finals, with Matabeleland North’s auditions set for 29 February in Victoria Falls. The provincial contest will be held in July also in the resort town.
The queen from each province will compete at the national final on a date yet to be advised, with the ultimate winner representing the country in Nigeria. In an interview, Tafirenyika said this was an opportunity for her to take her modelling career to greater heights while at the same time promoting the girl child, a project she started in the province last year in October.
“Miss Zimbabwe Grand 2020 a humanitarian pageant and the winner will get an opportunity to represent the country at Miss Pan African in Nigeria later in the year. This is an honour and opportunity for me to upgrade myself and my province,” said Tafirenyika.
Tafirenyika, who has recovered from a left leg injury she sustained when the MTZ models were involved in an accident last year, said she wanted to leave a mark and make a difference for the province.
She started a girl child empowerment project in Lupane which she is spreading across the whole province as part of her community work as the reigning MTZ Mat North.
She has visited several schools in Lupane and was guest motivational speaker at the provincial International Day of the Girl Child organised by the Ministry of Women’s Affair, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in Lupane in October last year.
“When we went to MTZ final last year we were challenged to start projects as many go silent after winning. I was touched when I visited St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane and saw a high number of teenage mothers. My conclusion was that girls in the province need mentorship on life issues including menstrual health teaching and career guidance as many don’t go beyond primary school level. I approached the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and presented my proposal and that’s how I started visiting schools engaging the girl child,” she said.
