Denyse Payton Uwanjye, a 23-year-old actress, photogenic model, and businesswoman, is more than just a pretty face. She is also an advocate and role model for African youth. Recently, Denyse was selected as one of the Miss Africa Unite Mozambique finalists for 2023. In an interview, Denyse shared what inspired her to participate and what she hopes to achieve.
“Well, what inspired me to participate in the Miss Africa Unite Mozambique was myself,” Denyse said. “I wanted to show the people here as well as outside that I can be a role model to the youth through joining this kind of pageant.”
Denyse believes that youth depression is one of the biggest challenges facing Mozambique and Africa as a whole. “The main reason is that some African parents don’t know what depression is and don’t believe that it exists, and that is real. So it is up to us youth to integrate youth depression prevention efforts into places where youth are most readily accessed.”
She added, “Interventions to prevent youth depression may benefit from a focus on enhancing family understanding of youth depression. We need to attend to family processes that influence depression risk and that promote depression prevention.”
Denyse also believes that the key issues that need to be addressed in order to promote gender equality and empower women in Mozambique and Africa are increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision making, redistributing care work and productive resources, and empowering women small holders.
With these issues in mind, Denyse is currently working on projects to encourage young graduates and those who were not lucky enough to have access to education to learn entrepreneurship and how to save from an early age. “Where they will be taught to work in cooperatives according to their skills in order to reduce the highest rate of unemployment in youth.”
Denyse sees a bright future for Mozambique and Africa if they have good leadership and leaders that will bring peace and unity among them. She said, “Our Africa will become the powerful continent and Mozambique as well.”
Finally, Denyse’s advice to African youth is to never give up, dream big, but also have vision, “Having dreams without vision is like pouring water on stone, and learn to say no.”
Denyse Payton Uwanjye is not just a beauty queen, but also a role model for African youth everywhere. With her skills, vision, and determination, she is sure to make a difference.
