NEWLY-crowned Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ), Ashley Morgan, says she will focus on girl child empowerment initiatives, as well as promotion of the Zimbabwean brand across the globe.
BY KENNEDY NYAVAYA
The 22-year-old shrugged off stiff competition from a bevy of 14 other beauties to come out tops, while Nonhlanhla Dube was the first princess and Shirley-Ann Lindsey was the second runner-up at the glamorous MTZ event held in Harare on Friday night.
Speaking to the media soon after her coronation, the Bulawayo-born National University of Science and Technology student said she would immediately start focusing on provision of sanitary pads for girls.
“I’m currently passionate about the pads drive. It breaks my heart to see a girl who doesn’t have pads. So my first initiative will be to donate pads and create awareness to everybody,” she said, adding her perseverance had earned her the big role.
“I had only dreamt of it, but I did not give up. It is not my first time entering a pageant. Sometimes I lost and at some point, I almost gave up, but I told myself there is no quitting in my dictionary and here I am today.”
Morgan, who is pursuing a marketing degree, said was the perfect candidate to help in marketing local tourism and spurring it to greater heights.
“The most important thing I am bringing to the table is my brains, (because) I am currently pursuing a degree in marketing and I am hoping I will represent ZTA [Zimbabwe Tourism Authority] in their marketing department to further our country in advertising,” she said.
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Meanwhile, the event, which was largely sponsored by South Africa-based Zimbabwean business mogul, Justice Maphosa, through his companies, could be a step in the right direction for pageantry in the country, as it exuded world class standards.
The modern stage-setting, an organised programming, as well as reputable prices for the contestants all made the event appear to have been carefully planned.
