Mohalenyane Phakela
ALTHOUGH the finale of the Face of Beauty International 2015 pageant in Taiwan will be held on Sunday, Lesotho’s representative Mojabeng Senekal says she already feels like a winner.
Senekal is pitted against 59 ladies from around the world in the prestigious pageant being held in the east Asian nation from 4 – 19 October, 2015. The Face of Beauty International pageant was established in 2012 with the aim of developing young female leaders from around the world.
In an interview with the Weekender from the city of Tainan this week, the 22-year-old stunner said she had already learnt many invaluable lessons that would greatly benefit the local pageantry sector.
“I have learnt that there is a lot more to pageantry than just the catwalk. Back home, we do not get enough grooming about how a beauty queen should conduct herself beyond merely appearing at various events,” Senekal said.
“The other thing which needs to be enhanced in Lesotho is the social skills of beauty queens, since every title should also come with the requisite programmes that develop the holder in both their appearance and intellectually.”
She said the state of the local fashion industry left a lot to be desired and needed support from various stakeholders to reach its potential.
“Considering how seriously other countries take their fashion industries, I feel we can do better if we give it the attention it deserves,” she noted.
Asked about her chances of bringing home the crown, the Butha Buthe-born beauty remained upbeat, saying she was holding her own against the other contestants.
“Since we arrived and engaged in activities such as marketing various brands in the city of Taipei, I have outperformed the other contestants and I am still confident of winning,” said Senekal.
“The only drawback is that they only managed to get the name of my country right today, since I have been mistakenly called a Motswana, Namibian and even a Haitian representative at some point, yet this never happened to the other contestants. My only worry is I might get a raw deal if they keep getting my name wrong.”
- Advertisement -
She added: “However, that will never deter me from my passion. I know the reason I am here and I am doing it for my country. I have the strength and competency to take on the world so I will definitely bring something home.”
Senekal is the current Face of Lesotho, a title which she clinched in May this year, adding to her slew of crowns which include Miss Personality 2014, Miss Royalty 2014 and Miss NUL 2015. She was also a runner-up in the Face of KO 2014 pageant last December.
