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Ms Face Zim for Disabled back after decade

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IN their endeavour to promote the rights and participation of disabled people in the arts sector, organisers of Ms Face Zimbabwe (For the Disabled) pageant are set to revive the pageant after a decade-long sabbatical, which was due to financial constraints.

IN their endeavour to promote the rights and participation of disabled people in the arts sector, organisers of Ms Face Zimbabwe (For the Disabled) pageant are set to revive the pageant after a decade-long sabbatical, which was due to financial constraints.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

Ms Face Zim 2006 winner Tatenda Mafuta
Ms Face Zim 2006 winner Tatenda Mafuta

The inaugural beauty pageant was held in 2006 in Harare and Tatenda Mafuta was crowned the queen.

The revived pageant is set to be re-launched on January 27 at Cathedral Hall in the capital, ahead of the grand finale pencilled for the last weekend of March in Harare.

Speaking to NewsDay, the pageant director, Mavis Danda said they were seeking to identify and empower talented people with limited abilities (PWLA) and help them realise that they can do great things in life.

“Ms Face Zimbabwe (For the Disabled) pageant returns this year after a long break of about 11 years,” she said.

“We are expecting a great return of the pageant, with 15 contestants from across the country participating, with the winners taking part in the Ms Face Africa likely to be held in Ghana.

“This Friday, we will be conducting a workshop for the aspiring contestants sponsored by Kelly’s. As a way of fundraising for the pageant, we will be selling branded T-shirts and make-up kits among other things at the launch.”

Danda, who is also director for Ms Face Africa, appealed to well-wishers and the corporate world to join hands in supporting the event in the same way they support pageants for able-bodied people.

“With this pageant, we want to create a society, where PWLA stop relying on donations, but use their talents to earn a living,” she said.

“Although we are not able to overcome all the challenges they are facing, we are trying our best to come up with programmes that will help them be self-reliant financially.

“We cannot do it alone, and we are appealing to the government through the relevant ministries and also to the corporate world to join hands in supporting events that promote PWLA to change their lives than to believe that begging and vending are the only solutions to their problems.”