25 Jan 2024

Tsabong District Council has pledged support for Miss Botswana top 10 finalist, Christina Vanstaden, as she readies to rock the ramp to compete for the coveted title at the finals slated for March 23.

The pledge was made Wednesday when 25-year-old Vanstaden paid a courtesy call on Tsabong District Council chairperson, Hendrick Jacobs.

Jacobs said it was pertinent to support Vanstaden, who was the only Miss Botswana contestant from the Tsabong District.

The council chairperson said Vanstaden who hails from Werda had made the district proud by securing a spot in the Top 10 Miss Botswana finalists, which warranted that she be given moral and financial support as well as to be supported with her competition wardrobe.

“We cannot allow you to compete without help from the district, we will help with some of the attire that you might need,” he said.

Jacobs, who is also the Bokspits/Struizendam councilor said fierce competition required one to have a strong character thus he encouraged her to look deep within herself to find ‘intrinsic motivation’ to be able to withstand competition to clinch the heavily contested crown.

“I give you my blessings as the council chairperson of the district. All the best my daughter,” he said.

Vanstaden appreciated the support, saying it would boost her to carry out her ‘Pillar of Hope’ project, which revolved around women and girl-child empowerment.

She said she was imparting fashion design skills to the girls and the women at no cost to them.

The Miss Botswana 2024 crown hopeful divulged that having been a victim of abuse herself, she aimed to make a difference by empowering girls and women through mentorship.

Noting that women were the most affected by gender based violence (GBV), she said it was  critical to impart survival skills to them to enable them to make something of their lives and boost their self-esteem.

Vanstaden said while modern technology had brought tremendous progress to human development, it had also affecting parenting as  parents no longer created meaningful relationships with their children, which could contribute  to the increase of social ills.

“A woman should have a needle and a thread. It will create a relationship between a mother and her daughter.These days you find children on their phones and their parents will not know what they are doing there, it makes parenting difficult. These days’ mothers do not talk to their children because they do not bond. My aim is to make a difference by teaching them how to sew so that they can bond and be able to be open to each other,” she said.

For her part, the chief Social and Community Development officer, Ms Boitumelo Pule said they faced serious challenges in the district regarding the girl-child such as child negligence, defilement, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse as such Vanstaden’s Pillar of Hope project would help address some of the challenges.

She said the council would support her project, adding that they would appreciate every little thing that she would do as it could make a difference. Ends