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Peter Tanyanyiwa Arts Correspondent—
Miss Zimbabwe Annie-Grace Mutambu has taken her Beauty with a Purpose project to a new level. Her project seeks to address the plight of people living with albinism. Beauty with a Purpose is a charity initiative category at the Miss World contest and it was created in 1972. Under the programme, contestants initiate outstanding projects in their respective countries in order to raise funds to support the sick and disadvantaged.
Mutambu’s project is all about helping people living with albinism and helps them fight their day-to-day challenges. “My beauty with a purpose project has managed to secure funding of about $8 000 from Zimplats, from that $3 300 went to 15 children’s optometric visits. We managed to get them spectacles looking at how they are affected by the sun.
“The project also gave sunscreen lotions, disinfectants and lip balms to people affected by this condition in Chitungwiza. I had the greatest feeling of my life just seeing a smile on their faces,” she said. Miss Zimbabwe expresses that this project has opened her eyes to how people living with albinism need more assistance.
“When you are an ordinary person, there are many things you tend to just turn a blind eye on, but working on this project has opened my eyes that apart from people living with HIV, cancer or other ailments, people living with albinism require special attention,” she said.
The 19-year-old beauty is expected to leave for China on November 20 for the Miss World pageant set for December 19. Albinism is a genetic condition that affects one in 17 000 people in the world. In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that there are about 14 000 to 17 000 albinos in residence.
Online Reporter