…………Organisers donate to learners
By Phillip Pasula
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Rhano Entertainment and Alligators have disclosed that beauty contest to identify Miss Mzuzu is back this year after a long break.
The event was last held in 2011 but organisers say will be an annual event and are calling upon other stakeholders including the corporate world to join them in staging the event.
Peter Chiwaula, Strategic Planner at Rhano Entertainment and Alligators told Maravi Post that this year’s aims at fighting Gender Based Violence, Sexual Abuse and Menstrual Poverty.
“Adolescent girls are facing a number problems including gender based violence, sexual abuse and menstrual poverty. Some girls are so needy that they can’t get access to sanitary pads. Some even stay away from school when they are experiencing menstruation.
“Our plan is to have a movement that will keep on assisting girls in these areas and so the winners this year will be ambassadors and agents of change and together with our partners, we will continue fighting menstrual poverty among adolescent girls especially here in Mzuzu,” explained Chiwaula.
As a preliminary event, the organisers donated sanitary pads to needy students at Masasa Primary School in the city of Mzuzu on Thursday morning.
Headteacher for the school, Anna Phiri, said she was grateful for the gesture by Miss Mzuzu Beauty Pageant organisers.
“The donation has come at the right time. We do have experiences whereby learners just leave the school premises and miss classes without saying anything to their teachers when they are experiencing menstruation.
“These pads will help them to remain in class. I thank the organisers of the contest for choosing Masasa Primary School to be one of the schools in their project,” Phiri said.
Amina Gama, a Standard 5 learner at the school hailed the organisers for the donation.
“I will be learning with comfort when in that situation,” she commented.
The 2022 edition of Miss Mzuzu Beauty Contest will take place on October 8, 2022 at Grand Palace Hotel.
At the moment, MK11 million has been set aside to help in fighting menstrual poverty among adolescent girls in some schools within the city of Mzuzu.
