EIGHTEEN-year-old model Hillary Makaya is set to carry the burden to represent the country at the prestigious Miss Intercontinental World set for Panama in December after she was recently-crowned Miss Intercontinental Zimbabwe 2017.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Miss Intercontinental World is in its 46th edition and Makaya will battle it out for the coveted title with more than 80 contestants drawn from across the world.
This is not the teen model’s first appearance at an international pageant having flown to Colombo, Sri Lanka as Miss Teen Heritage Zimbabwe 2016 where she raised the country’s flag high after winning seven awards, including $20 000 in prize money.
In an interview with The Standard Style, Makaya said she draws her inspiration from her late aunt Connie Makaya who was the first black woman to be crowned Miss Rhodesia. She said she wanted to work harder and reach such a milestone.
“I started as a runway model at Top Model Zimbabwe Agency for a year and eventually I entered my first pageant, Miss Interact Zimbabwe, which is for teens and won. This motivated me to keep on taking part in different pageants,” she said.
“I believe that through hard work, I am destined for greatness and can change the world with my titles — Miss Teen World Heritage 2016-2017 and Miss Intercontinental Zimbabwe 2017-2018.”
Makaya now aims to participate at next year’s Miss World Zimbabwe with high hopes to go and for the esteemed Miss World 2018 title.
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“My family is encouraging me to participate in the Miss World Zimbabwe 2018. I believe in myself, that I have the strength and ability to participate in any pageant and take the crown,” she said.
She said her desire was to support the girl child by starting a foundation named after her, The Hillary Makaya Foundation, that would focus on helping to shape the lives of the underprivileged.
“Opening a foundation and a modelling agency for teenagers who have a passion for modelling to be groomed for the international ramp will be an open window for me to inspire, import and be a role model for the children in my country,” she said.
