. . . acclaimed beauty queen to foray in ‘Mrs’ pageants
Mohalenyane Phakela
SINCE making history in 2011 by being crowned Miss Humanity International in Barbados, Karabelo Mokoallo, has seemingly gone off the radar.
However, the 28-year-old beauty revealed to the Weekender this past week this was not the case as she has been involved in a number of activities chief of which is the return to modeling.
“I took a break from competing at beauty pageants but I believe this is not the end.
“My intention now is to participate in “Mrs” contests for married people which now exist, and hopefully be able to introduce it in the country since we now have many beauty queens who are married,” said Mokoallo who tied the knot on 20 March in a glamourous wedding held at Lesotho Sun.
“The advantage of such pageants is that they portray the benefits marriage as only ladies who are happily married would be allowed to participate.”
She also revealed that her focus was now on adding to her already impressive credentials by bringing home another major international accolade in the Mrs Universe title.
During the Miss Humanity International pageant in 2011, Mokoallo was also crowned Continental Queen of Africa and Beauty with a Mission. Locally, she clinched the Miss Lesotho Companies 2008, which was her first ever title, and the Miss Vodacom PC gongs in 2009.
Speaking of her clinching the Miss Humanity International, she said: “There is a feeling you get when you achieve your goals and dreams, and that’s what I have when I think of being Miss Heritage International.
“It is a combination of gratefulness and excitement.”
While marriage has spelt the end of a modelling career for many, the Butha Buthe-born stunner vowed to buck the trend.
She paid tribute to the unwavering support of her husband, Motšeare Tšosane, who she said is the encouragement behind the relaunch of her modelling career.
“God has blessed me with a very supportive man,” Mokoallo said.
“He is a biker, something very far from what I do but he understands my career, so I guess that is what drew us together.”
She said success in the modelling realm had also emboldened her to aim for the sky in her personal life.
“My journey in the world of pageantry has been beautiful. I can earnestly say my participation in pageants and winning titles has been the highlight of my life which has molded me into the woman I am today,” said Mokoallo, who has a post-graduate qualification in Bio-Medical Technology from the University of Johannesburg.
“I am definitely a better person now because after winning Lesotho’s first and highest profile crown, I realised that there is nothing impossible under the sun.
“As a result, it has built my character, confidence and drawn me closer to my purpose in life, giving me a sense of responsibility not only for my own life but for the lives of other young women who look up to me.”
Apart from strutting her stuff on the catwalk, Mokoallo is also a Laboratory Manager for Aids Health Care Foundation Lesotho.
“I have also been acquiring skills for my career, not only as a model but as a medical scientist,” she said.
“Actually, participating in pageants encouraged me to pursue my studies because I felt I needed to prove that beauty queens are also brainy and hard-workers.”
As part of her drive to make a positive mark in society, Mokoallo is a part of the organisation Sisters With A Purpose.
“It comes from a desire to influence and add value to our community as young ladies. Each little effort we make changes at least one life at a time,” she said.
Mokoallo urged those striving to make their mark in life to never stop dreaming regardless of what other people say.
“Instead, they should continue to believe in themselves,” she said.
“I think that there is a time for everything, and if this was not the perfect time I would not be here. We all have destinies and all I achieved happened at a definite and perfect time.
Turning to the development of pageants in Lesotho, Mokoallo expressed hope the government would finally invest in the sector.
“Our government needs to understand that pageants are platforms to empower our youth at many levels; socially, academically and psychologically,” she said.
“Every time our country is represented abroad, the person participating will be an ambassador to our beautiful Kingdom. So I believe that we need to give more support and take responsibility for the image we send out and what we would like the world to remember when they think of Lesotho.
“Frankly speaking, I believe the government should foot all travel expenses of those representing Lesotho at global pageants to showcase our heritage as Basotho.”
