Online Reporter
Sunday Life Reporter
ROPAFADZO Nyakutya, a 23-year-old Zimbabwean-born youth leader and finalist for Miss Africa USA 2025, is making waves not only with her inspiring pageant journey but also through her impactful community project- the Back-to-School Kit Drive.
The initiative aims to support vulnerable children, especially girls, by providing essential school supplies and hygiene products both in the United States and Zimbabwe.
Speaking about the drive, Nyakutya said the initiative was inspired by her passion of ensuring that the girl child was not left behind.
“The Back-to-School Kit Drive is one of my key community projects as a finalist for Miss Africa USA 2025. This year, I am extending it to Zimbabwe, where I was born, because I know the challenges children, especially girls, face when they don’t have the resources they need to excel in school. Through this initiative, we will be collecting and distributing essential school supplies such as stationery, backpacks and hygiene products.
“In Zimbabwe, the drive will be made possible through donations and partnerships with local businesses here in the US and in Zimbabwe and well-wishers who believe in investing in the next generation,” she said.
Nyakutya’s pageant journey is deeply rooted in personal experiences and a passion for advocacy. Growing up, she struggled with confidence and faced societal stigma, particularly around menstruation and her identity as a Zimbabwean studying abroad.
“All through till college, I remember avoiding conversations about my period because I feared shame or judgment or even feeling like it’s a taboo,” she revealed. “Over time, I realised that this silence wasn’t just my struggle; many young girls face the same challenges, and for some, it’s made worse by a lack of access to basic hygiene products like pads.”
Her visits to her home villages in Zimbabwe revealed the harsh realities many girls face daily.
“I met girls who miss school or improvise unsafe alternatives because pads are either too expensive or not enough to last the entire cycle. This reality is unacceptable,” Nyakutya said.
“My advocacy is about changing that narrative, ensuring that menstrual health and good self-care practice are seen as a necessity, not a luxury, and building girls’ confidence so they can take up space academically and professionally.”
As a Miss Africa USA 2025 finalist, Nyakutya has leveraged her platform to advance these causes.
“Being a finalist in Miss Africa USA 2025 has given me a larger platform to amplify these issues and mobilise resources. I have already launched community projects in the US and am working towards scaling them in Zimbabwe before the coronation in September,” she explained.
She revealed that her goals for the year include: running a successful sanitary pad and school supply drives in both the US and Zimbabwe, building sustainable partnerships with businesses, NGOs and community leaders and using her voice as a Christian Influencer and through her platform, the MaRopafadzo Foundation, to empower girls through education, mentorship and access to resources.
“In general, this is more than a crown, it’s a mission. And with every step, I am getting closer to creating tangible change for the communities I care about most.”
Born in Belvedere, Harare, Nyakutya was schooled at John Mackenzie School in Francistown, Botswana, and has lived between Gweru and Francistown, with home villages in Chivhu and Chiundura. She began her influencer and fashion journey in 2023, marking this as her first pageant experience.
Since starting her journey, she has become a certified influencer through training at, Her Media, and has collaborated with renowned brands such as L’Oréal Paris, Valentino Beauty, Cerave, Prada Beauty, L’occitane en Provence, Body Blendz and currently serves as an ambassador for Thayers.
