12 Dec 2019

Junior Miss Botswana crew has donated P88 000 to ChildLine following a fundraising beauty pageant held last month.

The objective of the pageant was to raise awareness for charity work, help young pageants with their self-esteem and confidence and to give them a platform to prepare for more glamorous pageants at a tender age.

The pageant is held every year and features locals.

In an interview, the pageant organiser, who also heads Madam Queen Modelling Agency, Queen Kolobe said she was pleased with this year’s shift at the event.

“We managed to raise the amount we did because of the community’s support, it is very amusing to do something which in the end becomes a success,” she said.

However, Kolobe appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to sponsor the pageant as its mandate was in line with social responsibility. She said the ministry could also help them get recognition and sponsorship from other government ministries and private entities, adding they had been having difficulties in getting sponsors for the eight years of the pageant.

“We have always had costumes, make-up and hair affairs sponsorships for our pageants, but we still lack funds,” she said.

The second princess for the Under 11 category, Masa Phuthego said she joined the pageant because she wanted to work with the community and raise awareness about giving. She said she believed her voice would be heard better than that of an ordinary individual.

In agreement, Under 11 category queen, Janice Petso said the pageant was a platform for her to show the less privileged, more especially orphans, that they were not alone, but had people who cared for them.

A parent to one of the contestants, Primrose Seiphemelo appreciated the Junior Miss Botswana pageant, saying its organisers had good intentions of closing the gap and helping the less fortunate.

She said as children were the future, it was of important to teach them to give while they were still young.

Seiphemelo said the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Sport and Culture Development should also look into assisting because the children were tomorrow leaders.

The Under 15 category crown was won by Anke Nkwe while Reneilwe Tebagano and Amantle Seiphemelo got the first and second princesses respectively.

Anke said pageants were not only to display their beauty, but also about being selfless and putting others before one’s self.

The Under 11 crown went to Janice Petso, first princess being Michelle Ngele while Masa Phuthego was second princess.

Contestants shared the same sentiments, saying they were keen to groom other young girls who were interested in participating in the pageant but did not have the confidence. ENDS