A crown for needy children

If the established and propagated Western concept of a beauty queen as a slender, tall and fast talking person were to be followed to the letter during the adjudication of “Face of Kenya” pageant, then Ms Roseline Mbaya would, most likely, not have won the title.

This is because, the 28-year-old is a full-bodied woman who exudes the grace of an African queen quite comfortable in her black skin. 

Why, then, did she win the Face of Kenya UK 2015 title?

“The answer is simply because in determining the winner, we looked beyond Western style concept of beauty to the commitment and passion with which the contestants presented the charities that they supported,” said UK-based lawyer Jacqueline Onal, one of the judges, soon after the announcement of the winner in London last month. 

Mbaya is currently in the country on a charity mission. She turned tables on other contestants when she spoke passionately and convincingly about Angels Children’s Centre, the charity of her choice based in Limuru. 

“Grown-ups and adults for the most part have a choice to author their life’s story. For children growing under the care of their parent or parents and generally the extended family, it’s their choice, in most cases, to walk the wrong path. The case is not the same with children abandoned at an early age,” said Ms Mbaya in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Nation in London, last month.

It is a statement she repeated yesterday when we talked to her in Nairobi as she prepared to host a charity event in a Nairobi hotel. 

POPULAR EVENTS

‘Face of Kenya’ UK, and recently ‘Face of Kenya’ US pageants have become popular events on the Diaspora calendars in the UK and the US. This is because of the glamour and glitz associated with a three-course dinner, catwalk and after-party entertainment.

The organisers, Ms Janet Wainaina the founder and chief executive of Face of Kenya and Ms Wacu Ndirangu, the manager of Face of Kenya US, say underlying all these are two very strong objectives — to raise money to support charities in Kenya and to connect young Kenyans growing up abroad with their origin, culture and history.  

The contestants are usually below 30 years and are required to go around raising money from friends and relatives to support charities of their choice.

“Those who succeed have to come up with ingenious ways of raising funds and, as we all know, fundraising is not easy,” said Ms Wainaina.

“But beyond raising money, they have to make a case for Kenya.”   

As for the UK educated Ms Mbaya, talking about Kenya, and extolling her virtues was “a walk in the park” because of her knowledge of the country. “I was born and raised in Kenya and, despite the fact that I’ve lived in the UK for more than 15 years, I still maintain my Kenyanness,” she said.

What was tough though, she agrees, was raising money during these seemingly hard times.  

To raise close to £1,000; Mbaya had to organise and take part in a series of events starting with this year’s Regents Park 10 km run to raise the funds for Angels Centre. She also had to create a crowd source funding account for online supporters as well as holding barbecues for friends and family.

“It was not easy going around asking for money from people but I enjoyed talking about abandoned children and the opportunity for people of goodwill to let God work through them to change children’s circumstances.” said Ms Mbaya.