By Clemence Tashaya
EENHANA – Seventeen-year-old Grade 11 learner at Mwadikange Kaulinge Secondary School , Albertina Ndjambula, was crowned Miss Namib Mills – Kapuka Tournament 2014.
Laura Sangudji (18) twelve grader of the Ponhofi Secondary Schoolwas crowned first princess while Paulina Moses (16) in Grade 10 from the Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School is the second princess. The queen and her princesses each won Namib Mills products to the value of N$ 300 and N$ 4 200 in cash. The five finalists also each won Namib Mills back pack with Namib products, caps and tops for participating in the competition. The Miss Photogenic and Miss Personality crowns went to Lucia Kapolo (16) tenth grader from the Mwadikange Kaulinge Secondary School and Maano Ndakondja (17) a twelve grader from the Ponhofi Secondary School respectively.
The spokesperson of the event, Ndina Hailulu says that the Miss Namib Mills 2014 will also be part and parcel of marketing Namib Mills’ products as well as represent her region and its inhabitants. She adds that together with honours and prizes comes with duties and responsibilities associated with the Miss Namib Mills title in the region, among such responsibilities being the protection of Eenhana’s environment and also taking care of the less privileged, especially children. The queen, Albertina, will also be afforded an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many young orphans and other vulnerable children in various schools in the Ohangwena region. During her reign, Miss Namib Mills – Kapuka Tournament 2014 will visit schools and donate various Namib Mills’ goods and products to kindergartens and other places.
Albertina says she would like to take the modeling profession seriously and plough back into the Ohangwena communities especially in the less privileged children. “I would like to embark on this career after my Grade 12 and people should be able to emulate the Namibian beauty. I feel more like a queen and a role model for the Ohangwena region,” she says.
The first princess, Laura, who likes dancing, reading novels and would like to be a lawyer after school, in an ecstatic mood affirms that she would to take the modeling business serious. “This is the beginning of what the Namibian nation should expect in the near future. I advise my fellow models to be free from the stage freight,” she encourages, and to “never claim to know how to ride a horse if they have never fell from it”. The five finalists will work with the San community who are highly affected by heavy and reckless drinking and the deadly HIV and AIDS pandemic in the region.“Whilst we are promoting Namib Mills, at the same time, we need to empower the most disadvantaged communities from this region especially those people known as “San people”, says Kapolo.
Revelers were entertained by the award winning stocky artists, Mushe, who belted it out on the night with Oteya and the FTS dancers. Miss Namibia 2013, Paulina Melulu was also present to ensure that the models were ready and counseled accordingly. She also helped with the crowning and judging.