PUPILS at Dominican Convent High School in Harare say they will this year channel proceeds from their annual charity pageant, Miss Convent, to the Autism Society of Zimbabwe for the benefit of children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
BY ANESU MUSHAWATU
The charity pageant is set for July 26 in the capital.
ASD is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life and affects how a person interacts with others.
In an interview with NewsDay Life and Style, one of the pageant organisers, Vimbai Ngoma, said the main aim of the pageant was to give back to the community.
“As the Dominican family, we felt that Autism Spectrum Disorder is a great area of need that is often overlooked mainly because people are unaware that autism is there and is affecting a lot of children and families who are struggling to cope,” she said.
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“This year’s pageant, which will be running under the theme Pure Royalty, will showcase the elegance, sophistication as well as the humility that is within a Dominican Convent lady. It affords our ladies the opportunity to use their talent, creativity and intellect to fundraise for a greater cause”.
Ngoma said after last year’s pageant, they purchased beds which were donated to Melfort Farm Old People’s Home in Harare and this year they have partnered with Edgars, National Microfinace Bank (NMB), FBC Bank Limited and Harare Magazine.
Songstress Thamsanqa Moyo and award-winning hip-hop artiste Takura Tendai have been invited to entertain the guests, where tickets would be selling at $10 for the VIP, while the standard and general ones are pegged at $6 and $4, respectively.
The Autism Organisations of Zimbabwe facilitates the rehabilitation of children living with the condition by providing them with skills training and support services as well as raising public awareness.