Where are they now?

OdileWhat does having been a former Miss Namibia mean for you?It opened so many doors for me personally and professionally. Although your reign lasts for only a year, the advantages and opportunities are there, as long as you work for them. Miss Namibia still means that you have to work hard and love it. What role do you think Miss Namibia plays in creating the kind of Namibia all of us want to live in?She is an ambassador for the country and a role model for the youth. I like to believe that Miss Namibia is a symbol of a hopeful future, where she can be the ‘what and who’ that inspires the Namibian leaders of tomorrow, and a forceful embodiment of grace, poise, manners, self-respect, humility and a serving heart. Leading by example but remaining humble by serving her country. Please share some of the most important work that you did during your reign as Miss Namibia, and why it meant so much to you, and/or the country?Wow, that was six years ago. I really cannot remember every single project. Instead of focusing on one main cause, I wanted to expand and work alongside/support as many organisations as I could at the time. But there will always be a project that I will cherish forever and that was the Operation Smile Project I did in collaboration with the Michelle McLean Trust. It was an organisation headed by Nampharm that hired a full medical team and staff to do free ‘cleft pallet’ operations for Namibians that desperately needed it. The entire experience humbled me, and made me appreciate the hard working men and women who choose to make a difference because they can! What would you say to other young girls that want to enter Miss Namibia but are not sure whether they should go down that road?You have nothing to lose and so much to gain, personally and professionally. I could give you all so many reasons why and use large and fancy words to entice or attract you to want to enter, instead, I encourage ladies to look at the lives of former winners and notice how enriched their lives have become after entering. Just in the pageant alone, you experience personal growth and form wonderful friendships. The opportunities are there ladies, are you going to take them? What have you been doing since your reign as Miss Namibia? Where are you now?Currently living in Swakopmund, freelancing as a radio DJ for West Coast FM, MC’ing, acting (watch this space soon for personal projects), dancing, and playing wifey.TsakanaWhat does having been a former Miss Namibia mean for you?I could write a whole book in response to this but in short, being a former Miss Namibia means having had the opportunity of a lifetime to fulfil my dreams and to serve my country.What role do you think Miss Namibia plays in creating the kind of Namibia all of us want to live in?Beauty pageants are not everybody’s cup of tea and have been debated over about for many years. Critics often think that pageants reinforce the idea that the value of a woman is solely based on her physical appearance and subjects them to objectification and thus many do not see how it could be considered as a tool for anything useful. However, to me, Miss Namibia is synonymous to empowerment, and empowerment and self-assurance are the most powerful tools a woman can use against any sort of injustice, most of the time, and women are victims because they allow it, not by choice but because of circumstances. If you empower one girl , she is able to pass it on to other girls, she is given a chance to reach out far and wide because of this opportunity. It gives her the opportunity to come up with projects that are implemented successfully and can address a number of socio-economic issues .Please share some of the most important work that you did during your reign as Miss Namibia, and why it meant so much to you, and or the country?The one project that was closest to my heart was the ‘Keep Tsumeb Warm Project’. With the help of kind donations, I was able to go back to my home town and donate blankets to the Tsumeb old age home and the SOS Village. It meant a lot to me because of the location. It is always nice to go back to where you came from and give back to the community, the elderly and children were my focus because, older people reflect our past, where we came from, and they must be appreciated for the contribution and sacrifices that they have made and the children, because they are our future and deserve the right opportunity for development.What would you say to other young girls that want to enter Miss Namibia but are not sure whether they should go down that road?The thing about being uncertain about something is that you will never know what the road is like until you decide to go down it, with the exception of death and taxes, nothing is guaranteed. If you have been thinking about entering Miss Namibia, you probably should, but be prepared to either win or lose. If you lose, don’t let it consume you, you were brave enough to try and so many others were not. If you win, soak up the moment, embrace it, be proud of it, but remember that it now becomes your responsibility to empower other people who will now be looking up to you. What have you been doing since your reign as Miss Namibia? Where are you now?The fate of the former Miss Namibia is fading into oblivion or so it seems. I suppose people are curious and probably expect the commitment to continue, but where I am now is living a fulfilled life, but also giving impetus to the dreams that I had when I entered the competition and the promises I made that must be fulfilled.June Shimuoshili

Where are they now?

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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Where are they now?

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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