Two Rwandan beauties have made it to the top 12 contestants in the Miss Africa Philippines, which is taking place for its very first time. The coveted beauty pageant is aimed at preserving the cultures and norms of Africans studying and living in the Southeast Asian country. Amanda Bahenda. /Courtesy. Representing Rwanda are Amanda Bahenda and Ines Karangwa, who will face off together with other beauty contestants from different African countries, including Nigeria, South Sudan, and Kenya among others. The crowning ceremony is scheduled for July, and contestants will be expected to showcase among other skills; dressing, dances and different activities that represent their African countries. The Rwandan beauty queens are donning numbers 4 and 5 respectively. In case one of these girls claims the title, she will have joined various Rwandans that have won different beauty pageants outside the country. Among these are Marie-France Sharamanzi, who won the Miss AfriCanada contest in 2013, making her the first Rwanda to scoop the crown since the pageant started in 1998. Sabrina Isimbi, is another Rwandan that has represented the country on the international level when it comes to beauty contests, as she was also crowned Miss Personality at the Miss Supernatural Contest in Warsaw Poland in 2012. According to Fiona Muthoni, who was the first runner-up in Miss Africa competition in 2017, in Nigeria, the country having two contestants in top 12, is such a promising aspect, as it shows that more young women are coming up to represent their countries in different fields. Muthoni said her participation in the Miss Africa competition helped her to boost self-confidence, and helped her get more opportunities. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
