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“Mbare is the oldest high-density, southern suburb of Harare. It is mostly known for its famous attraction that is the Curio Market, the huge market for traditional artwork. Though some parts of the township are dirty, one thing about the place is it is lively and welcoming. Each day children run around and you could hear voices of woman shouting . . . “tokupai here madomasi?”
These are some of the words that made 16 year-old Yolanda Chimbarami win the hearts of many during the impromptu segment at the recently held Miss Harare Junior 2013 at Rainbow Parklane Theatre.
She received a standing ovation from the whole auditorium including the judges who applauded her for being real.
With such beauty she chose to talk about Mbare. To keep in theme she wore a brown dress and walked on the ramp with a basket with bananas and oranges, depicting a female vendor.
Lady Luck smiled on her as she was later crowned Miss Harare Junior 2013, beating 24 other girls. The tall, beautiful and talented teenager is also an artist and has drawn many inspired pictures.
With the intention of bringing her straight into your hearts, Cool Lifestyle’s Swagga T (ST) spoke to the former Westridge student a week after she won the coveted title. Is Yolanda Chimba- rami (YC) still the girl next door or what? What’s in store for her and what does it mean to be junior queen of the Sunshine City? Find out about this and more:
ST: Greetings, Your Majesty. Congrats on winning. Tell us about yourself.
YC: Greetings to you all. I am Yolanda aged 16 and second born in a family of three. I live in Snake Park and just wrote my Ordinary Level exams at Westridge High School. I am a devoted Christian and I love children.
ST: What was your reaction soon after the MC called your name as the winner and what plans do you have as the queen?
YC: I was shocked and surprised at the same time, considering the fact that the other 24 girls were beautiful. I shed tears of joy and immediately thought of my family who supported me. Being the queen is now a big task for me as I have a lot of projects.
Firstly, I will continue working on improving the lifestyle of one of the orphanages in Mufakose. Being a queen is an added advantage as I will maximise the opportunities ahead of me, developing and improving the lifestyle of children in Harare. I can say I am now their mother. Harare needs me to make it friendly.
ST: Any modelling background?
YC: I was born a model. My body is natural and I am size 12. I don’t diet. I enjoy eating pizza a lot. I started modelling in primary school and while in Grade 7 I won Miss Tynwald Primary. I later dropped the modelling because there were no pageants. To stay fit I play basketball and do athletics.
ST: Who is your role model and why?
YC: My role models are the First Lady Grace Mugabe and former model Brita Masaleluthini. The First Lady is a woman of integrity, loves children and has a warm heart. I think we share common traits and it is my dream to meet her so we exchange notes on my projects. Brita was the first model I adored because when she was young she achieved a lot.
ST: Interesting. So what is your ambition?
YC: I want to pursue a career in modelling and my goal is to be an advocate. I will continue with charity work.
ST: Are you still the same girl or has the crown changed you? And where do you keep your most found prized possession?
YC: (lol). I am still the girl next door just that I now have the crown on my head. I haven’t changed friends, but just that I have more friends than before. I now have to prepare myself for these two roles well. I keep my sash and crown on my dresser. Each time I wake up I look at them and smile.
ST: Last word
YC: I wish you all Cool Teens a Merry Christmas.
Online Reporter