Lessons from the dress

On her trip in the USA, Miss Namibia Suné January was surrounded by people who like her have the interest of protecting animals, from birds to bears and rhinos. The beauty queen was invited to speak at Cornell University to discuss poaching issues in Namibia. January, who wore the rhino-inspired gown at the Miss Universe beauty pageant last year, said the trip was a memorable one. “They were all interested on wildlife in general and what we as a nation are doing to protect our animals. Some of them have never seen a rhino or elephant in their lives so it was a learning opportunity for all of us,” said January.January’s presentation at the university was on the black rhino and wildlife conservation in Namibia. She said she received overwhelming feedback from the attendees as many of them did not expect so much passion from a beauty queen title holder. Many of them told her that they would love to come to Namibia to be part of the volunteer programmes. “I showed them pictures of poached rhinos and elephants and asked for a moment of silence for each picture shown. They said they now realise the harsh reality of the world we live in. It was enjoyed overall and that was the aim,” she said.The trip meant a lot to January as she was harshly criticised for her costume by the public but she believes it had served more than its initial purpose which was to start a conversation and creating awareness. The Intelligence Support against Poaching (ISAP) Namibia has doors open for international volunteers and January was able to create draw many foreigners to use this opportunity.“I wanted to get attention while on the global stage at Miss Universe. I didn’t believe I could pull it off but I did it anyways. It shows that if you stick to what you believe you can make anything happen. It meant the world to me,” she said.The beauty queen whose reign is ending soon believes she has achieved her main goals as Miss Namibia which was to take the rhino project to a global platform. June Shimuoshili

Lessons from the dress

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-09

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Lessons from the dress

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-09

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