Miss Hwedza 2023 finalists have made headlines for their heartwarming donation aimed at curbing period poverty in their community. On May 14, 2023, the contestants from the Miss Hwedza beauty pageant, founded by Rhoda Ruhukwa and Charlotte K Chigwedere, donated sanitary wear to girls in marginalized areas like Hwedza.
Living in such areas makes it tough for girls to afford sanitary wear. Hence, many end up using unhygienic materials for their menstrual care. To eliminate this prevalent problem and promote the pageantry culture in rural areas, the Miss Hwedza competition seeks to empower the girl child in marginalized areas.
Notably, Charlotte Chigwedere runs a feminist movement, Active Mindsets, through which she has successfully spearheaded various projects across the country. Coming from Hwedza, she and Rhoda Ruhukwa have joined forces to create something impactful for their community.
Rhoda Ruhukwa explains that growing up in Hwedza, pursuing modeling was a dream she had to put on hold since the culture of modeling was utterly under-promoted in her area. Relocating to Gweru gave her the chance to pursue her dream and gave her the exposure she needed to propel her career further. Upon mastering a few techniques, she was determined to return to her community to empower young girls with similar aspirations.
Miss Hwedza competition offers the rural girl the platform, voice and representation that they need to be heard and seen. Such efforts from these phenomenal women go a long way in instilling hope and empowering young, vulnerable girls in communities where children's dreams die due to lack of support. The rural girl-child has finally gotten what they have always wanted; a chance to become whoever they've ever wanted to be. Ultimately, it is a reminder that we all have a duty to each other, especially to support and nurture children's talents.
