By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Twenty-one-year-old Gwendoline Chikambi, who caught the eye of the judges at the Miss Ruby pageant in Masvingo two months ago, says she will use her influence as Masvingo’s reigning queen to nurture models in the town and surrounding areas.
Chikambi, who is signed under a Harare-based modelling agency — Size4 — said she would use the opportunity as reigning Miss Ruby 2019 to groom and train future models in the ancient city.
She said her other reason for taking part in the pageant was to develop and boost her self-esteem.
“Miss Ruby is a title which gives me the opportunity to coach, groom and discover other models in the province as a whole and even in the rural areas,” Chikambi told this publication.
“Models should be identified from as early as 12 years, the purpose being to nurture and develop young talent in Masvingo and put the province on the map.
“I will carry the crown with utmost dignity as it is not only a pageant title, but a symbol of great responsibility. However, mostly I want to inspire girls in the rural areas to convunce them that they can do it too if I did it.”
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She said as part of her charity work, she would help groom the girl child and protect her mentally, physically and emotionally.
A Human Resources Management student at Great Zimbabwe University, Chikambi started her modelling career when she was in high school.
“I started modelling when I was in high school and in 2016 I joined Size4 Modelling Agency where I did a two-year course in training and grooming,” she said.
“I always had a passion for modelling since my teenage years. I was motivated by Alek Wek I have been following her articles and I thought I could also achieve my goals.”
Apart from taking part in the Miss Ruby pageant, Chikambi has participated in other modelling contests and also featured in Seh Calaz’s music video.
“I am more into commercial modelling. I became Miss Valentine 2017 in Mashonaland Central and I also participated at the Castle Tankard in a runway show last year,” she said.
“It was a great pleasure for me when I featured in dancehall artiste Seh Calaz’s video of the song Unondisvitsa Kure. My biggest dream is to become the face of big companies in and out of Zimbabwe.”
She says she is inspired by local socialite and businesswoman Pokello Nare, whom she describes as a “self-dependent woman”.
