The moment she auditioned for the Miss Rwanda 2022 pageant, Divine Nshuti Muheto’s name was on the lips of many, mainly because of her striking beauty, and the comments made by one of the Judges during auditions.

In fact, Jolly Mutesi, Miss Rwanda 2016, who was among the judges during the auditions, could not hide her feelings, telling Muheto that she is beautiful. Some saw it as a direct endorsement but others argued that as a judge, Mutesi had the right to make a comment.

Indeed, the moment you meet the 19-year-old beauty queen, you are struck by her beauty, elegance and simplicity. When she was crowned Miss Rwanda 2022, not many complained. The choice was satisfying.

The night she was crowned Miss Rwanda 2022. 

When the pageant’s auditions kicked off, Muheto gave the title a shot and auditioned in Western Province. 

"I went to the Western Province, where my family comes from, that is where I auditioned from and luckily it went well and I got a pass. Later on, I went to the pre-selection phase. I did the presentation, which was really tough,” 

Muheto says, adding that the pre-selection and the boot camp phases really took a lot out of her as she researched and put together her project. 

Muheto says it was a tough journey which required her to be at her very best.

"Mentally, I was like, Divine, go do your best. Do you, be you. That was the only thing going on, pushing me forward every day. Go do your best because it’s a competition. You expect to win or to lose.

"I said to myself ‘give it a shot’. Maybe it’s the start of something new and something good,” the beauty queen says.

Driving the savings culture agenda

Her project, Igiceri Youth Program, focuses on promoting the saving culture among young people. She says that she was prompted to start the savings project because she noticed how people struggled to make ends meet, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I realised that relying on day-to-day income is unattainable, which is why I chose to start saving and it really did help me a lot,” Muheto says.

"I really believe in saving. I believe that through the journey of saving, there are some blueprints of success to those who save,” she said, pointing out that it was the main reason she set out to encourage young people to start saving as it can help solve many problems,” Muheto says.

She observes that saving has helped her cut out dependency, where she can afford to buy herself what she needs, rather than asking for help.

"I am a girl. I need different things. So, my savings reduced the dependency level of me asking my parents or my relatives for money. Saving really did help me a lot,” Muheto says.

During her reign, she intends to work with the Central Bank and microfinance institutions to raise awareness about the benefits of saving.

"I believe at some point, as the youth, we speak the same language. If as a young person I talk to other young people telling them about saving, it will be more understandable than a much older person talking to them,” she says.

In five years, she hopes to see her project succeed because she believes if that if one does something wholeheartedly, they do it well.

Miss Rwanda

Muheto says that a lot is said about Miss Rwanda but the pageant is a strong platform which doesn’t just empower girls but they also learn a lot through it.

"Miss Rwanda is a platform that empowers girls. Wherever you are, if you don’t believe in Miss Rwanda, please do because Miss Rwanda has really helped many girls achieve their dreams.

"I guess people can see and can relate. I believe whoever stepped in Miss Rwanda as a competition learnt a lot from there and it has really helped them, either through connections or the way they speak and their confidence was boosted,” Muheto says.

Muheto attributes her success to being prayerful and she sees her new position as a calling because she believes God will work through her to make a difference in society.

 During her reign, Muheto says she will do everything in her power to use her crown to impact the lives of many through her project.

She will also use the opportunity to talk to young girls and inspire them to be self-confident and follow in her footsteps.

 A calling 

Muheto says that during her time in office, she will use her platform to advocate for mental health and also fight the challenge of teen pregnancy.

"Our mental health is at stake, especially for young girls. There is this problem of teenage pregnancy and also dropping out of school. We also have a challenge of the youth using drugs these days,” she says.

 She says she will be knocking on doors of institutions and companies seeking support in fighting these challenges, promising to be an ambassador of girls. She also intends to work with media houses and also conduct roadshows across the country.

Muheto says today the youth find themselves not having people to talk to about their problems and they end up suffering alone without any help, and that is something she is looking to fight.

Muheto, who is inspired by Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, encourages young people to try and talk to their parents about the challenges they face and their ambitions.

She hopes to leave behind an impact on the youth and society at large, promising to live up to the expectations of the public which voted for her.

Born on December 21, 2003, Muheto says she is passionate about simplicity and creativity while in her free time she enjoys swimming and watching movies.

Muheto attended primary school at Kigali City School but completed her primary education at Kingdom Education Centre. She did O-level at St. Marie Adelaide and A-Level at FAWE Girls School in Gatsibo.