The third edition of the country wide Miss Tourism Beauty contest search on Friday saw Ms Peace Atim, crowned Miss Tourism Northern Region 2015/2016, beauty queen in an event held at Acholi Inn Laoo Ltd Hotel.
The event, the second of its kind in the region drew 13 contestants from districts of Amuru, Gulu, Pader, Kitgum, Agago and kole all within Acholi and Lango sub-region.
At about 9 pm, the event kicked off with a moment of silence where fans paid tribute to fallen Miss Tourism Northern 2014/2015, Ms Norah Atim who perished in an accident along Masaka-Mbarara highway early this month.
This year’s event attracted hundreds of spectators who were entertained in the early hours of the night with performances from Joe P, BSG Labongo and Jackson Rozinda among others, before the beauty queens hit the runway.
By 10 pm, all focuses were shifted towards the Red Carpet where the beauty queens one by one made their debut appearance on the runway sending crowds gathered in ululation and cheers as they made introduction and their intents to contest.
The contestants cheered up fans through their various performances that included, cat walking, singing, cultural performances, poetry, art works and vocational skills they showcased.
Four member’s judges who included, Mr Nelson Omara Orech, Philip Okullo, Allan Ocen and Sylvia Kalembe were left at the edge of their seats as the contestants put up a tight race for the crown.
Ms Margret Ojara, the Under Secretary Ministry of Tourism at about 3AM, crowned Ms Atim, 23 contestants number two Miss Tourism North after the judges announced the results.
Speaking to Acholi times in an interview, Atim said, “I am so happy for being crowned Miss Tourism North, I want to pledge that I will work tirelessly to enable the tourist sites in the region are recognized not only in Uganda but internationally. I also dedicate
this victory to last year’s beauty queen Atim,”
Miss Evelyn Acan, contestant number 4, was first runner up while Contestant number 12, Janet Laker was crowned the second runner up in the tightly contested beauty race.
Ms Stella Akello emerged best dressed contestant while contestant number eight, Ms Helen Ato 20, from Kitgum district won as the best talented contestant.
Ms Kalembe, senior marketing officer at Uganda Wildlife Authority in an interview said, three winners from each of the region that hosted the contests will compete for the Miss Tourism Beauty contest grand finale at Serena Hotel comes 28th of next month.
Miss Tourism Beauty pageant which begun in 2013, is a brain child of the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquity, and implemented by lead agencies like the Uganda tourism Board (UTB).
This year’s event has been sponsored by Radiant Hair product.
10 Comments
One important thing is to begin to embrace our natural beauty and hair styles, and discourage wicks/hair of other dead people. You can not tie the hair of other dead people on your head and consider that a mark of beauty. That is “jok, tal, apoya…”. It is very insulting, denigrating, and an affront against the creator who gave us very special and beautiful hair. Also frying hair should be prohibited, should never be a mark of beauty. Let us not imitate the looks of others as beauty, when we are really very beautiful the way we are.
Ha ha haaa wuuuyi what are you talking about lacankometek? “Wicks” or wigs? From whose dead body? ” you can not TIE the hair” heheee do you mean weave or plaits or micro extension? “Frying hair”uluu maado its hot combing are you sure you were supposed to comment in an adornment and a beauty industry when you don’t even know the terminology and spelling?
Anyway do you cut your hair? Do you wear trousers? Do you wear shoes? Do you shop in Owino? If yes to any of the questions then shut T F up. Bet you are unmarried, divoced, widower or just women suppressor haha mukono gamu.
By the way most of the hair extensions are artificial and not human hair. Please groom yourself Lacan Kometek and do lots of reseach in the beauty industry. Otherwise stick with the lakaralede i dwe olet ki war pyen or ludok thats what we called 100% natural.
Ebba, are you saying that these girls are not beautiful without weaves/extensions? Why shouldn’t our natural hair be an integral part of beauty Ebba?
Why do we have to imitate the looks of others in order to be seen as beautiful, (Monkey see monkey do, and one day the monkey cut its throat)
Human hair from India, China, Eastern Europe etc are harvested, treated, processed and sold to you very expensively, be real in your research. They exploit you and say it is beauty industry. Why can’t Black people sell their hair to other people also Ebba?
Lacankometek
You are right. That is what I call Wang matye ka yabbe. I like the idea that the ladies are wearing African style dresses. Can you imagine that we Acoli had our garments canga, ogul, atego, etc how the missionaries outlawed all our garments. Amin also threatened that Acoli must not wear anything made of leather then now you see that everything made of leather is more expensive. We would have developed a lot of our skills such us tetto nyonyo which nearly every Acoli family member knew. Can we encourage these trade to return to the young people now?
What about our language Acoli our mother tongue which has so much knowledge and proverbs. We are being deceived that the white man’s language is better than our MOTHER tongues? Pupils are beaten at schools for speaking their native -mark of IDENTITY language? That is our value and what makes people know us as a group in a global world. We should promote ourselves in ever way possible.
Good points Guest,
Acoli people had different garments for each and every activity and occasions, eg Anginya,”leather skirt” which was a casual wear; Cenu was a special wear for “kumu, cwer cwiny, dore,” showing sadness, demonstration, mourning, protest in deep sense, sorrow etc. Eg look at the picture of the Chief with his wives wearing Cenu, this picture was taken during the colonial time when the colonizers were really brutal on Acoli people, forced labour, destruction of crops,animals, houses and disruption of people’s daily lives, the atrocities by Muno at this time was composed in one of “wer otole” how the white man was destroying all our ways of life. It was then fitting to wear “Cenu” by the chief’s wives, but cenu is/was not a daily wear.
We need our lwo language, Okot P’Bitek in one of his writings, mentioned the effort to write one Luo/lwo language in the 60’s, before Bitek proceeded with other missions,he advised the group to put down even what they disagreed upon, after a short while he heard that the group assigned with the task broke down by throwing insults on one another. The group composed of Acoli, Alur, Lango, Kumam, Jopadhola, and Lwo of Kenya and Tanzania. The Luo of Ethiopia were not there, the Anyuak/Anywar.
Lacankometek and Guest, i think there’s misunderstanding about this topic. Are we talking about Acholi with their own beauty as they see themselves or are we talking beauty as in the international criteria which in this case the title is miss tourism? Maybe i got you people wrong. Anyway if the ideas were to get the Acholi girls in their ancient Acholi beauty then the most beautiful queen should’ve worn cheno bear chested, bear footed, natural afro hair style, adorned with winno, atako and tiko pyer, mola, and ogul. For the purpose of Acholi tourism, i would have been 100% behind you. What is confusing is that these girls are wearing maxi dresses and high heels and blinged up with european accessories that’s make both of your comments non logical when your only criticism is about their hair style.
Anyway when its comes to international beauty contest like for miss world, then forget about natural beauty of an Acholi with Acholiness beauty. They will never pass 1st audition although nilotics are the most beautiful human being which we belonged. You had already joined the copy cat world long time and you dont realise it. And I think i can guess your age era lol PEACE
If you can afford and its make you happy and feel good then who am i to judge? Its an individual choice.
I think Burra you just like to argue don’t you? So Nyongo Lupita a Kenyan Luo who has so far got an award was she wearing wigs? Jami ducu kiyubo ayuba. We are talking about exploitation and demeaning ourselves while we (like you) value beauty of so called International people. They promoted themselves – it is just market, they tell you that their products are better than yours. If you keep believing then you become consumers and they remain producers. You see in YouTube today Acoli is well known because they are selling something unique that is music, traditional dances, talents – not because of education.
I need to meet up with people like you. These are very important subjects that a lot of the youth today do not know where the root of their problem lies. If there is a way we can link up it will be good.
No Guest you are getting me wrong there again. I said that if we really want to sell ourselves culturally, traditionally, and historically then we should do it in a clean cut ways so that its 100% undiluted from other cultures. But to mixed up the concepts then criticise parts of it is double standard for me. Nyongo acted as a typical African woman in the film that’s why she has been awarded. By the way im one of those who are promoting Luo culture internationally but with the flow. And also i would’ve join you in your campaign if you’re not too fundamental and rigid. I love my culture jealously but I don’t like to see anyaka Acholi ma odongo lanede mabet ento yer wiye okore onyinye onyo obuc kayeyo tee. Acholi gilwoko yer ki pobo ci plenle mayom. But when people also want to venture into other cultures leave them to try. ” Boroboro never last “PEACE i got you.