06 Mar 2019

Fourteen young ladies will battle it out for the inaugural Miss Red Ribbon Integrated pageant where a Queen will be selected to become an educator and facilitator in raising awareness on HIV/AIDS related matters among the youth.

The pageant will be held in Gaborone on March 30.

Speaking during a press briefing, project coordinator, Nkgopolang Tlhomelang explained that the pageant targeted young people so that the Queen may be able to relate with her peers and feel free to relay the message to them.

He said young people were more inclined to lend an ear to someone who belonged to their age group. He noted that the winner would involve all people, regardless of gender, religious and sexual orientation without stigma and discrimination.

The pageant’s patron, Peter Siele, commended organisers for coming up with such a concept especially at a time where the country and international community were at war to fight against HIV/AIDS that poses a great threat to humanity.

He said it was time for individuals, stakeholders and private entities alike to come up with strategies that would help in fighting the disease since government had been doing so single-handedly from time immemorial. “I wish to give the pageant coordinators a pat in the back for including government through Ministry of Health and Wellness and National AIDS Coordinating Agency in their project. This will go a long way in helping in this fight,” he noted.

He said he was pleased with the Miss Red Ribbon Integrated Pageant for taking initiative in helping government particularly when young people who were deemed as future leaders were the most affected by HIV/AIDS.

In its effort to empower locals, the pageant has included local designers to dress the contestants during the show and local artistes will provide entertainment during the night.

Tickets for the pageant sell at P100 standard, P200 VIP and P300 VVIP. ENDS