I'm doing an article on the next edition of my mag titled 'MNET Face Of Africa Winners; Where Are They Now?
I can't seem to find anything on them on line. Apart from Oluchi, others are a mystery.
Here they are:
Oluchi ('98), Benevida Mudenge ('99), Nombulelo Madzibuko (2000), Ramatoulaye Diallo (2001), Kaone Kario (2005), Venantia Otto (2006)
Can anyone give me any kind of information on any of these women? Where they are now, what they are doing now, how successful their modeling career is or was, jobs they've done, how life has been since winning MNET etc
Also tell me where I can get pictures of them. Their websites, blogs etc
If anyone has direct contact with any of them, please let us have it, so we can interview them.
Also, if you have any kind of article for the mag, please send it to my email asap. We are almost done with the mag and page planning will start next week. So send whatever you want to this week...latest next week.
We are also looking for human interest stories. If you have any peculiar or inspiring story you want to share with others, pls send it to us! With pictures!
All those who live abroad will get the opportunity of reading the mag's next edition on line...we are already working on the website. I will let you know as soon as it's ready. But you're gonna pay o...lol!
Meanwhile, about Ernest Obi and the story surrounding him. I didn't put up that story to be vicious, nasty or anything. I just wanted a little girl's story to be heard. I'm not judging him...maybe I did...the thing is, I am very sensitive about rape. I have witnessed first hand the trauma a rape victim goes through, especially when raped by someone they trusted.
I have never been raped but I know someone who was and maybe one day if she allows me, I'll share her story with you. You can't begin to imagine what these people go through, you can't begin to understand the demons that haunt them.
We are so quick to say the victims are lying, because we don't want to believe the accused is that 'kind' of man but what if it's true? What if that girl was really violated?
The funny thing is I know Joanne personally. We did a few fashion shows back in '98/99. I don't know her well enough to say what kind of mother she is, but I know enough to say if a girl said she was raped...it's possible she was. The best case scenario will be consensual sex. And if she's 12/13years old, that's statutory rape.
Whether her mother is irresponsible or not is not the bone of contention, lets just find out if that girl was really raped, then get her the help she needs. And yes its my business...just like it's your business. Who knows who the next victim will be?
That's all I want to say!
Ok! Please send me anything you can on the MNET girls. Will really appreciate it! Cheers!
19 comments:
Linda dear,
Your blog is the best! Pls what
does "lol" mean?
Linda, you could not make it to
"the experience."
Lyne Omo
Funnily enough I was thinking about a similar topic recently as I had quite a crush on one of the finalists (remember the name but not the face) and I still feel she should have won. Unfortunately I cannot help but I hope you can get some info as it sounds like a promising article.
You go girl. Yes it's our business and yours(to the person who thinks it's not linda's business) because your sister,daughter, niece, nephew or son might be the next victim. Like Linda said, we are so quick to blame the victims. This is not a matter of judging but when a grown man or woman has sex with a child, i believe they should be punished very severly.For too many years we've swept stuff like rape under the carpet because we are scared about what people will say about us.What about the rape victim? For years and years, women who have been raped carry the experience around . Its time we as African women stand up and say NO MORE. We need to expose the agbayas that are taking away the innocence of children. Let me stop here as i am already shedding tears from the rage that i feel about this topic
Click on this link http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/July/Tuesday4/3269567691528.html for information on Kaone Kario
How far, I saw ur txt havent been able to call u, I've been experiencing network problems. I'll keep checking on the others.
Kaone Kario (geogle her for more info)
This link has a lil
http://awuraba.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=29
She's also on facebook. If you are on facebook. search for her.
Thanks for all you write that makes me feel like am still in Nigeria. Thanks for keeping me informed! I too like gist!
Linda thou shal not judge.
more on Kaone Kario;
“... being able to do that for my country was great.”
Standing at 1.75m, Kaone, the beauty from Botswana, had arrived at the Sun City Superbowl in Johannesburg a hopeful teenager trying her luck at modelling. The 19-year-old student, Kaone Kario, looked around her and had a sinking feeling that she was not the only beautiful girl in the room.
"When I joined the other girls, I tuned my mind that I had to go home with the award. But I became miserable because every time I looked around, all the other girls looked equally good. I decided I was not to think of being the winner, but have fun,” (Interview with Caroline Wahome, 2005).
By the time the judges got ready to announce who the Nokia Face of Africa 2005 would be from among 10 finalists, Kaone had stopped focusing on winning and was there to have fun — and perhaps create a platform for herself in the modelling industry. The judges said Kaone’s personality had stood out from the other finalists. "She had the looks and photo attributes just like everyone else, but Kaone is driven by energy, which she portrays even when she gets on stage," said Busisiwe Mahlaba, a member of the panel. Botswana’s Kaone Kario walked away with a modelling contract from Storm Model Management valued at $125000.
In addition to her contract, Kaone won prizes valued at $30,000 from Estee Launder, Young Designers Emporium, South African Airways, Sun International and Carlton Hair. As she was interviewed by Annel Malan from women24, Kaone commented that, "I've always been tall, pretty and skinny, a model type, you know. But it was my mom finally entered me into the Face Of Africa competition." Kaone believes everything in life has a reason and that God chooses your path for you. She feels modelling is her career for now, "it’s the right place for the meantime."
Her New Life
Image
Mei Lui's Victim Fashion Street (David Jones)
After getting busy into modelling, this is her embarrassing but interesting moments… “When you are busy with fashion shows, you don’t notice when embarrassing things happen, you are too caught up in the heat of the moment. You don’t even realise you are doing something that can possibly be embarrassing.” Kaone explained that models often have to start undressing the moment they get off stage. "You undress all the way to where you get dressed again and you don’t care for embarrassment cause it's in the heat of the moment" (Annel Malan, 2005). In another interview with Theresa Smith, SA Independent Online, Kaone said that, ...the best part about her new life is meeting people. "Who would've thought I'd meet Gerry (Rantseli) one day," said Kaone. She realises she will get a chance to meet many more people and has started working on a list that includes singer Usher and actor George Clooney. But her greatest wish right now is to meet former president Nelson Mandela. "After all, he's the father of all Africans," she said.
Taking Time Off
Kaone intimates to Theresa Smith that, She likes reading, but finds she does not have the time to get stuck into novels right now, so she tries to read all the magazines and newspapers she can lay her hands on. She finds doing housework, like washing the dishes, quite soothing when she needs to relax and she watches television when she has the time. "I love watching wrestling," she said.
During her quest for the Nokia Face of Africa, Kaone's profile mentioned that, she loves action films and she's a fan of The Pacifier, Oceans 11, Bad Boys 1, Bad Boys 2 and Speed. A music lover, Kaone has a long list of favourite tracks including those by Bobby Valentino, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears. Asked if she sings as well, Kaone replies, ''Only in the shower!''
We Say Congrats to You Kaone Kario, Continue to Make Africa Proud
Source: Interview with Calorine Wahome, www.eastandard.net; Interview with Annel Malan from women24; Theresa Smith, SA Independent Online; (www.jamaicaobserver.com – 07/2005)
Venantia Otto
Venantia Otto the 2006 winner of the Nokia Face of Africa modeling competion that took place at Sun City in South Africa is focused to empowering rural women by having her own talk show.
This 18 year old who gets her inspiration from succesful models like Tyra Banks says that she "...excited about the opportunity to model and believes that modelling is about hard-work, focus and personality..."
Born on 22 October 1987 in Namibia and from a family of five children, Venantia attended primary school at "...Mandume Primary School, where I did grade 1-7 and attended high school at Cosmos high from grade 8-10. In 2004, I was crowned Miss Cosmos..."
"...One of the first things that we noticed about Venantia was that she has a tattoo on her left arm – in a similar position to that of Angelina Jolie. Hers is of a rose. Venantia explains that she got the tattoo at the very young age of 16, ''I just did it for the experience.'' Venantia had to hide it from her parents and when they found out about it, they were not happy. It turns out that tattoos aren’t the best thing to do spontaneously as she has decided she will try to remove it in the next few years – a cautionary tale.
Like all the very impressive Nokia Face of Africa contestants, Venantia was the epitome of cool during the night of the Final. She says they started rehearsing their sequence a week before the final and went through it everyday from morning to night – the practice showed on the night.
But wasn’t she nervous about whether she would win or lose? Venantia says that her nerves had faded away from the time that she was chosen to be in the top 10.
Venantia might have taken the title, but who did she think would be the chosen one? She picks Mirash Davies from Ghana. Mirash was notably popular with the magazine editors during Nokia Cape town Fashion Week. It seemed that they liked her `editorial’ look, as compared to the more `commercial’ looks of girls like Venantia and Mulenga. This is a debate that rages on in the modeling world. Venantia is diplomatic as usual saying that African beauty is inclusive while international beauty standards try to make very the same – tall and pretty.
The daughter of a nurse mom and Civil Servant Dad, both her parents were there to see their daughter’s triumph. Venantia says they reacted with great excitement whilst her own reaction was just pure shock.
The high school pupil is jetting off to New York (and so is her piece from Shimansky) sometime in October to create her portfolio and be launched into the world of high fashion by representatives, Elite Model Management. But she knows that although New York might be huge and scary compared to Windhoek, she has former winner Oluchi to keep an eye out for her, '' She said she’ll see me when I get there,'' says Venantia. She adds that this journey gives her an opportunity to mature into adulthood and make a name for herself..."
Some excerpts are taken from a profile article in Face of Africa.
@lyne omo, lol means lots of laughter
@sb, boma, afrodisiac and others, thanks. pls get me more info.
@ Lyne: LOL means Laughing Out Loud or Lots Of Laughter. COL means Crying out Loud. LMAO means Laughing My Arse Off. ROTFLMAO mean Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Arse off. FOCL means Falling Off Chair Laughing.
There are loads more, but i guess these are aight for you for now. They are just short terminologies loads of people use, especially if you IM (Instant Message) a lot.
So how much you go pay me for the info? *wide grin*
Haaa Linda,una no go kill person.Next time tell lyne to look it up herself. Shey she get internet? Lol= laugh(ing) out loud, lol.
Linda abeg remove that comment before u embarass yourself! lol means laughing out loud!
sorry can't help you wit any other face of africa winners other than oluchi like we all know,
but if I could offer an advice I don't think you have to do a piece on all of them, just pick out the high profile ones you can get your hands on, I think only three will do...and by high profile I mean the ones getting featured regularly on the runways and magazines shoots.
Ramatoulaye Diallo (Senegal), M-Net Face of Africa winner. One of the most popular winners ever of the M-Net Face of Africa title, Diallo charmed millions of television viewers in Africa, Europe, and America with the force of her dashing personality, beauty, and putting on one of the most original performances since the M-Net Face of Africa contest began in 1998, to win Africa's most prestigious modeling title.
The shaven-headed 18 year-old immigration officer said she would use her newly found fame to promote the image of her country Senegal and all of Africa.
Hi Linda, lol actually means laugh out loud or laughing out loud. cheers
lol means lots of laughter or laughing out loud. I prefer lots of laughter. finito!
Thanks, cally-waffy babe.
Lyne Omo
Of course, lol means lots of laughter, the same way some people say 'ferk' for the eating utensil or say 'good moring'.
Ok, I'm doing the guessing for the picture of those 3 guys. The guy in the middle looks a lot like K-Ci Hailey and the one on the right looks like Mr. Dalvin, so i'm guessing they're 3/4 of Jodeci...Am i right?
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