Zimpapers Logo

Kureva (seated) with her runners-up and pageant officials

Naledi Sande and Tawanda Matanhire
Devine Kureva (17) from Seke district was crowned Miss Rural Heritage Zimbabwe Mashonaland East 2016 at a pageant held at Mahusekwa High School on Saturday.

Kureva, who had previously dropped out of school at O-Level due to financial difficulties, was awarded school fees for the next year by the chairperson of Zimbabwe Multi-Talented Youth Association.

Kureva was ecstatic and even broke down upon being crowned the pioneering Miss Rural Heritage Zimbabwe.

“I am happy. I am very proud of myself because I was not expecting it,” she said.

Tariro Makamadze (18) from Seke District and Judith Ditima (17) from Marondera were crowned first and second princess respectively.

Other crowns went to Miss Personality Wendy Mapindu from UMP district and 15-year-old Shylet Chiware representing Marondera district who became Miss Face of Africa.

The top five were awarded school fees and sanitary wear. All 22 contestants who participated will get medical assistance at Westview Clinics for the next 12 months.

Miss Rural Heritage pageant launched by ZIMTAYA, a youth organisation seeking to empower not only the marginalised girl child but also the boy child, who is also a victim of abuse ran under the theme “Empowering the Girl Child and Promote Cultural Identity”.

ZIMTAYA chairperson Christina Matiza said the rural girl child has been marginalised in many spheres of life and needs to be respected like the urban counterpart.

“ZIMTAYA saw it fit to come up with programmes such as these to empower the rural girl child at the same time build self-confidence in her that she may feel respected and recognised equally important in the society just like her urban counterpart,” she said.

Matiza added that Miss Rural Heritage Zimbabwe is a cultural revolution, initiative aimed to resurrect our traditional values and identity which has been diluted by the foreign culture.

Also present at the pageant was Mashonaland traditional leader Chief Enos Musarurwa, who is also a Senator.

Chief Musarurwa urged the young girls to have discipline and focus on their education.

He also offered school fees for three other girls on behalf of Provincial Chiefs Council of Mashonaland East.

Other guests included Child President Tinaye Mbavari, Chief Samuriwo, Chief Nyamukoho and Chief Chikwaka from Goromonzi.

“We will be monitoring these eight young girls from their dressing to their performance at school,” he said.

However, it was not all rosy as the young girls had to model in outfits with price tags meaning the sponsorship was only for that particular occasion.

“The pageant still has a long way to go in terms of empowering the rural girl child as the models also need to be exposed to the outside world different from the rural setting so that they know how others are doing it,” said a guest who did not want their identity revealed.

Kureva is set to represent Mash East in the Miss Rural Heritage Zimbabwe nationals to be held on a date to be announced.