FOR the first time in Miss Namibia history, four title holders will represent Namibia on the international stage in the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss Teen International pageants.
The Miss Namibia organisation made the official announcement on Monday, 12 September.
Miss Namibia 2022 Cassia Sharpley (21) will represent Namibia at Miss Universe 2022, while the Miss Namibia first runner up, Leone van Jaarsveld (26) will attend the Miss World 2022 pageant.
The Miss Namibia second runner up, Diana Andimba (23), will represent Namibia at the Miss Earth 2022 competition, while Miss Teen Namibia Zoe Karsten (17) will represent the country at Miss Teen International 2022.
Miss Namibia national pageant director Umbi Karuaihe-Upi said participation in international pageants not only empowers young women, but also promotes local tourism on global platforms.
“We get to show off Namibia on a global scale while our candidates calibrate on a higher level of consciousness.”
Sharpley will focus her ‘Beauty for Charity’ project on poverty alleviation, as well as her own project, the Honeycomb Haven Foundation.
“It is not much about who we meet but about the impact we leave behind with them. People are people through other people,” said Sharpley.
Van Jaarsveld is motivated by her dedication to her goals and informing the youth that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
She promises to carry Namibia’s flag with pride and confidence, while using the platform to bring visibility and recognition to national non-profit organisations.
Her ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ project will focus on empowering founding supporters of causes of goodwill to keep up the excellent work, and to attract the attention of prospective sponsors, as well as unify the community.
Andimba, with her love for Namibian fauna, will focus on the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin, which is trafficked more than rhinos and elephants and plays an important role in the ecosystem.
“My objective will be to support the conservation and protection of pangolins and their habitats across the African continent, raise awareness, locally and internationally, about the plight of the pangolin and their value within ecosystems and implement projects which promote reducing the trade and trafficking of pangolins.”
Karsten has been very passionate about promoting charity work that is attainable by teenagers, one of those being blood donation. Anyone over the age of 16 can donate blood, which is a daily matter of life and death in hospitals all over the world.
By donating blood, the youth can make a selfless decision to help a stranger.
As a young entrepreneur, Karsten feels it is important to not only work hard for customers but also to give back to causes financially, such as the Namibian Cancer Association.
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