By Eddie Nsabimana Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the organisers of Miss Rwanda last week announced that the annual beauty contest will for the first time be held ‘in a bubble’. The bubble, according to organisers involves testing contestants, organisers and judges for covid-19 before isolating them to avoid contracting and spreading the virus. Due to the pandemic and ongoing restrictions, Miss Rwanda organisers came up with a concrete plan and a roadmap that will ensure that the 2021 edition of the pageant is held but in the safest of ways, for both the organisers and the contestants. The decision drew mixed reactions from a big number of people on social media, with some opposing the changes while others welcomed the decision instead of skipping this year’s edition due to the pandemic The New Times has compiled some of the reactions and concerns that people shared on social media when the new changes were announced. Why the rush? A section of the public suggested postponing the beauty contest to next year when physical attendance of will most likely resume and were of the view that virtual attendance will kill the ambiance that the beauty contest normally brings to them. “Unsolicited suggestion: I would skip the whole 2021 altogether. Miss Rwanda, let Naomi Nishimwe reign for another year. Let’s get out of the pandemic first,” tweeted a one Remy Byiringiro Another social media user, Kevine Gahizi, posted: “A new Miss to do what in the middle of a pandemic? By the way, why the rush? We are good with Naomie though. Naomie could just be Miss Rwanda 2021 and none of us would complain!!” Internet concerns On the other hand, the public also raised concerns about the internet connectivity becoming a hindrance for some contestants hence struggling to comfortably express themselves while facing the judges virtually. “I just imagined each contestant home walking around in her living room, waving to the camera while bending at times so we can see her face, then of course MTN and Airtel will fail us, and we will have one of them frozen in a weird angle. Some judges repeating ‘hello, do you hear me?’” said one Marie L. on Twitter. “Wait, those who can’t afford the internet are automatically disqualified?” wondered a one O. Arakaza. Give Nishimwe time for her project The year 2020 wasn’t been a good one for reigning Miss Rwanda Naomie Nishimwe who struggled to implement her projects as planned as she couldn’t reach her targeted audience due to the pandemic. The audience suggested that the organisers should consider postponing the 2021 edition and give the reigning crown winner ample time to implement her project since she was unlucky to do so during her reign. “Another miss in this pandemic? To do what? Naomi literally had no opportunity to implement her plans and you expect this time things to turn out differently?” reacted one Umutoni. Bruce Twagira backed Umutoni’s comment expressing his doubts that, just like Nishimwe, the next Miss Rwanda crown winner will be able to put into action what she will promise Rwandans in the pandemic. “If this pageant event was purely entertainment, I don’t think we would suggest the same thing but think about the elected miss with social responsibilities that she won’t be able to fulfill or even the previous that never got a chance to utilize her crown? What do you think?” he commented. However, Edmund Kagire observed that the pandemic shouldn’t be halting the event from happening yet organisers can successfully hold it in the ‘bubble’ till the crown goes to whom it belongs. “Isn’t it clear as I see? If it goes this way, it will work. There is no need to postpone as long as we all dont know when the pandemic will go. Other activities have gone online and digital. Otherwise, Miss can’t miss activities to do. We will not always be in lockdown,” he commented on Twitter. Public, contestants re-assured Dieudonne Ishimwe, the brains behind the beauty pageant, told The New Times that his team has taken time to observe how similar beauty contests in other countries were organised before deciding to hold Miss Rwanda in the ‘bubble’. “We are not the first going to hold the beauty pageant in this format. We couldn’t skip this year’s edition of the beauty contest just because of the pandemic while the same format was successfully used while in search of Miss France and Miss South Africa. We took time to see how it worked and we are confident the same will serve the purpose at Miss Rwanda,” Ishimwe said in an interview.
