Founded 8 years ago, Miss Grand International is a unique beauty pageant that crowns beautiful women who are ready to work with perfection in all 3 B’s elements: Body, Beauty, and Brain. According to the pageant’s website, the women should be complete with Skill sets and all-round abilities and be able to show the potential of being a modern woman who must be beautiful, skillful, and smart so that they can be an icon for women around the world.
This year’s winner will be crowned during a grand event on 25th October, 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Over 70 women from across the world are vying for the coveted crown.
Uganda is represented by Miss Uganda 2019 Ms. Oliver Nakakande, a model, girl-child advocate and philanthropist.
Now, let’s meet all the African beauties at the pageant.
Teresa Sara – Angola
Teresa Sara, age 25, a businesswoman, employer, law graduate, philanthropist, and social volunteer. I am happy to work and do what I wanted from a young age, especially working as a social Volunteer, and I feel privileged to represent the young women of the Republic of Angola at Miss Grand International 2022.
As a young girl growing up in a country ravaged by civil war, pageants showed me that a better life was possible. I was inspired by the grace and glamor of the women representing their countries – and their dreams – in an event that celebrates beauty, the beauty of humanity. Now it is my chance to inspire the next generation, and I hope I succeed in this.
Oliver Nakakande – Uganda
Oliver Nakakande: Miss Grand Uganda 2022 is a Girl-child rights advocate, humanitarian, speaker, and an active international fashion model from Uganda currently living and studying in Dubai, UAE.
Oliver is passionate about empowering teenage mothers who have dropped out of school and is an advocate for second chances. Encouraging teenage mothers to return to school is one of her pet projects. Oliver works tirelessly to cultivate the power of education. She has reached out beyond her village of Wakiso to the rest of Uganda and abroad.
Oliver loves sports and has recently played basketball on her university Queens team. She enjoys fitness, public speaking, volunteering, and modeling.
Pageantry is overly directed to ‘body and beauty.’ I believe ‘brains’ come first as a beauty queen’s work goes beyond how the body looks but mostly comes with great ethics, empathy, discipline, and dignity to serve and fulfill causes that are dear to them and, most importantly, give back to the world.
Caroline Konde – Congo
A fashion model who holds a degree in Marketing.
Zahara-Imani Bossman-Pinkrah – Ghana
My name is Zahara-Imani Bossman- Pinkrah and I am a 21- year-old graduate with a masters degree in Brands and communications management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. I am a firm believer in education, purpose, and self empowerment. This is why I seek to better myself each time and also inspire young people like me to believe in themselves and to reach for their purpose and goals in life.
For me, because pageants have always been more than a platform of beauty, glitz and glamor. I have always seen it as an advocate for change and a platform where young empowered beautiful women come together to raise a cause and serve as mouthpieces for society.
Pinto Música – Mozambique
My Name is Suema Abdul Rachid. I’m 25 years old, 1.70m tall, Iam from Cabo Delgado Province, Montepuez District, Mozambique. I grew up in a poor but strong family that helped me in my studies.
Since I was a little girl from the age of 8 I had an incredible passion for fashion and beauty, I saw the models on TV, and that inspired me to believe in it, so much that I remember my mother used to call me for the fact that I abused the make up products and her heels that were practically half the size of my foot.
I am a professional model with catwalk experience, and have a degree in Human Resources Management,Besides my mother tongue “Portuguese”, I speak fluent Thai and intermediate English. I am currently working for FURA Moçambique Lda, and I also work as a volunteer with friends,where we donate food and clothes for war refugees affected by the terrorist attack in my province (Cabo Delgado) – Mozambique.
Damilola Or Dammy – Nigeria
My name is Damilola Bolarinde, I am an entrepreneur and I work as a professional commercial and fashion international model. Asides that I am presently working towards studying and having a degree in fashion. I am an actor, a fitness and fashion enthusiast. I describe myself as an energetic, determined, Goal oriented person and a spokesperson for positive change. I believe that one can never know the great power they behold within them until they begin to believe THEY DO. I love traveling, swimming, and spending time with friends and family.
I grew up watching and loving fashion shows and beauty pageants. Beauty pageant is a big platform that has given women all over the world the ability to be a voice and become a change maker. I am inspired to be a beacon of hope and a spokesperson for change not just in my country Nigeria but also in the GRAND world at large.
LU-JUAN – South Africa
Beauty is subjective, looks fade. I see a person’s heart as their beauty. An individual should proactively push outside their comfort zone to continue to expand their brain. A body needs to be taken care of to ensure health to perform optimally. I feel that body, beauty, and brain go hand in hand. One must develop each day to maximize to reach their highest potential. A brain and body are tools to execute the intentions we have in our hearts. A heart is the most beautiful because without it there would be no will, compassion, and desire to pursue our dreams and goals.
The best sides of pageantry are the organizations you get to work with or begin! I’m all about being compassionate, paying it forward, and doing the right thing! Pageantry gives you the opportunity to network with numerous organizations and work with them, help them spread the awareness and much more!
Credit: Miss Grand International
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