Namibian beauties go global
For the first time in Miss Namibia history, four beauty queens will be representing our country at various international pageants, namely Miss Universe 2022, Miss World 2022, Miss Earth 2022 and Miss Teen International 2022.The Miss Namibia organization made the official announcement earlier today.
Miss Namibia 2022 Cassia Sharpley (21) will represent Namibia at Miss Universe 2022, while runner-up Leone Van Jaarsveld (26) will be heading to Miss World 2022. Miss Namibia second runner up, Diana Andimba (23) will represent Namibia at the Miss Earth 2022 competition and Miss Teen Namibia, Zoe Karsten (17) heads to Miss Teen International 2022.
According to pageant director Umbi Karuaihe-Upi, the titles and honour to participate at these international pageants present each candidate not only with a life-changing opportunity, but also with national responsibilities and obligations.
“They will serve as beacons of hope and role models by enduring examples of service for so many Namibians, especially young people. The four will be uniquely positioned to highlight deserving charitable causes and alleviating the suffering of many and, importantly will also bear the responsibility to serve our country as a goodwill ambassador on the international stages to create global awareness of our beautiful land and its people.”
Karuaihe-Upi reiterated that participation in the international pageants not only empowers young women, but also promotes local tourism on global platforms. Furthermore, “we get to show off Namibia on a global scale, proudly powered by the NBC and serving under the broadcaster’s NBC Cares banner to go hand in hand with the Beauty for Charity causes which each candidate will carry out.”
Miss Universe
Cassia Sharpley hails from Windhoek and focuses her project on poverty alleviation, mainly her own project, the Honeycomb Haven Foundation project. The three sectors of poverty focused on by the project are individual, absolute, and generational poverty and acts as a haven of hope and a catalyst of endless opportunities for troubled youth. The project was inspired by Cassia’s involvement in charitable events since the age of 10. With her parents being preachers, their sole purpose as a family was to give back to the community, and Cassia was actively present throughout the years.
“It is not much about who we meet but about the impact we leave behind with them. People are people through other people,” Sharpley said.
Miss World
Miss World Namibia Leone van Jaarsveld comes from the coastal town of Swakopmund and is motivated by her dedication to her goals and informing the youth that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Van Jaarsveld promises to carry Namibia's flag with pride and confidence as she uses this platform to bring visibility and recognition with regard to awareness to national non-profit organisations. Her “Beauty with a Purpose” project focuses on empowering founders of such causes of goodwill to keep up excellent work and to attract the attention of prospective sponsors and unification within her community. “These projects enable growth and sustainability in Namibia and more underprivileged persons will receive aid to enhance their livelihood. My aim as the founder of LR Youth Support, a registered NGO, is to narrow the gap between the haves and have nots to ensure less economic burdens,” she said. Her vision focuses on economic emancipation for all.
Miss Earth
Diana Andimba is Windhoek. With her love for Namibian fauna, she focuses on the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin. Trafficked more than rhinos and elephants, it plays an important role in the ecosystem.
“My objective is to support the conservation and protection of pangolins and their habitats across the African continent, raise awareness, locally and internationally, about the plight of the pangolin and their value within ecosystems and implement projects which promote reducing the trade and trafficking of pangolins,” Andimba said.
She added that she will use the Miss Earth platform to educate the public and conservation agencies by taking a stand against pangolin trafficking.
Miss Teen International
Last but not least, Miss Teen International Namibia, Zoe Karsten, born and raised in the capital city, is passionate about promoting charity work that is attainable by teenagers, one of those being blood donation. “Anyone over the age of 16 can donate their blood which is a daily matter of life and death in hospitals all over the world. By donating blood, the youth can make a selfless decision to help a stranger. As a young entrepreneur, I also feel it is important to not only work hard for customers but also give back to causes financially such as the Namibian Cancer Association.”
In these ways Zoë transcends borders to show that no matter your age, giving back is something anyone can do.