admin
Auxilia Katongomara Entertainment Correspondent
OUTGOING Miss Universities Zimbabwe 2012, Mellissa Shumba, says she had a successful reign, as the title enabled her to make positive changes in other people’s lives, through her charity work.
The 26-year-old Bachelor of Engineering in Textile Technology student at Nust, was crowned Miss Universities in October last year.
Shumba, who is in her final year, said winning the title was worthwhile, as she gained invaluable experience during her tenure.
“As Miss Universities, I had access to a number of places and I was able to undertake a number of changes through charity projects. There is so much joy in giving than receiving. It was a worthwhile pageant, I have learnt to be a leader through modelling, I was not as confident, as I am now,” said Shumba.
For winning the title last year, Shumba received a Nissan March, as the main prize, a laptop, a Blackberry phone, tuition fees of $1 000 and half a tonne of maize for her institution.
“This pageant aims at empowering the girl child and I was awarded an opportunity to study for an executive diploma in leadership development at the Zimbabwe Institute of Management. This will assist me in future,” she said.
Shumba has since acquired a driver’s licence as she did not have one when she won the pageant.
The battle for supremacy and fabulous prizes will see a total of 30 beauties drawn from almost all the universities in the country taking to the ramp.
The Miss Universities pageant was born out of the need to celebrate beauty with brains after the realisation that most models were failing to answer general questions about their country and natural resources.
The winner of the 2013 competition will have an automatic qualification into the Miss Zimbabwe and Miss Universities Africa competitions, which has been the case for the previous winners.
Shumba hands over the title at the finale set for Saturday at Ochi-City in Harare.
Online Reporter