Ngoni Dapira

THE finalists of the 2019 Miss Tourism Manicaland pageant last Saturday toured some of the women empowerment projects in Mutasa district as part of their grooming before the pageant which is slated for next week Saturday at Montclair Hotel in Nyanga.

Manicaland is currently the reigning province with the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe crown that was won by the 22- year old lawyer Tafadzwa Jaricha. She received the top prize of $10 000 and a Mercedes-Benz C Class. Manicaland also wrote its own history at the national pageant after two of its models won. Miss Tourism Manicaland first princess Life Matunzeni was chosen as the Miss Tourism second princess at the national pageant.

The models were hosted by Mutasa Rural District Council on the tour and visited Chiedza Community Welfare Trust at Bonda as well as a beads making project at Hartzel High School where a group of youths are  running the project. Mutasa RDC chief executive officer George Bandure said it was important for the models to get inspired by what other girls and women in rural communities are doing so that they inform others as tourism ambassadors of the province.

“You are our Manicaland ambassadors of tourism but the fact that you are women you should know more about what is happening in the rural areas, especially projects being spearheaded by other women. This is  what we want you to see in Mutasa district today and leave inspired,” said Bandure.

Miss Tourism Manicaland license holder and former model Caroline Marufu-Buwu said the tour was very insightful especially the reusable sanitary pads project at  Chiedza Community Welfare Trust.  The project that was started in 2003 by Gladys Mukaratirwa is being undertaken by rural women in Bonda and has the capacity to produce 5000 packs of four reusable sanitary pads per month .

“I was really inspired by the reusable sanitary pads project at Chiedza and so were the girls. We wanted them to get inspired by women empowerment projects in their province as part of their grooming experience before the pageant. As ambassadors they should talk about things they know and we thank Mutasa Rural District Council for hosting us to give this learning experience to the models. We also thank our sponsor Kenneth Muchina for providing transport and lunch for the girls. Without sponsors for this pageant we cannot effectively run our pageant and we are grateful when local businesspeople come on board,” said Marufu-Buwu.

Below are some of the highlights in pictures from the tour by the 13 Miss Tourism Manicaland finalists:

The models in the commuter omnibus before leaving for Mutasa district.

Mutasa RDC chief executive officer George Bandure welcoming the models to his district.

The models scrutinizing the reusable sanitary pads being made at Chiedza Community Welfare Trust.

One of the models with a reusable sanitary pad being made at Chiedza Community Welfare Trust.

The director of Chiedza Community Welfare Trust Gladys Mukaratirwa explaining about the rug mats they make using the waste cloths from producing the reusable sanitary pads.

The director of Chiedza Community Welfare Trust Gladys Mukaratirwa explaining to the models the process of making reusable sanitary pads.

The director of Chiedza Community Welfare Trust Gladys Mukaratirwa (extreme left) showing off some of the products that they make at the centre to one of the Miss Tourism Manicaland sponsors businessman cum politician Kenneth Muchina (with cap) and Mutasa RDC Ceo George Bandure (extreme right)

Some of the models at Hartzel High School.

Chiedza Mashiri (23) (left) and her mother Pamela explain about the beads making  project they started which is running successfully.

Some of the models were quick to grasp the beads making craft and started making their own beads jewelry.