Umuhoza Hawa is a staunch Muslim. However, her strong religious values have not stood in her way to pursue a career in modeling.

"When you are a Muslim, there are certain strict rules you follow- for example how to dress; women are expected to cover their hair and bodies but I am trying to balance the two because modeling is a profession  which  I’m passionate about ,” Umuhoza told  The New Times in an interview.  

Umuhoza’s decision to venture into the modeling came as a surprise to her staunch Muslim parents and friends; as she recalls, her parents were disappointed because her profession of choice was not in line with her faith.

Umuhoza, who attended Ape-Rugunga secondary school, says that her passion for fashion dates way back. At Ape-Rugunga, she was always the designer whenever there was a fashion event at school. In her last year of A- level, she joined Daddy de Maximo, a popular fashion designer to pursue her dream on a professional level, but was forced to drop it after her parents stood their ground.

Finally, when she completed secondary education in 2014, Umuhoza joined Kigali Fashion Week after a friend tipped her that the agency was searching for the models who would appear on the runway during the Kigali Fashion Week. Umuhoza applied and was lucky to be selected during the auditions.

"I spend a lot of time in front of a mirror. These days, models are required to have multiple facial expressions because modeling is no longer only about the beautiful face but about uniqueness and posture,” she explains.

Today, Umuhoza has changed the perception of some people about religion and modeling including her mother.

"My mother feared that the agents would ask me for sexual favours before getting the offer. However, when I joined Kigali Fashion Week, I was chosen on merit and that made my mother so comfortable that she finally accepted to support me financially,” she adds.

Just like any other profession, Muhoza says that being a model is not a smooth road.

 "People think that models are high-end prostitutes and being a Muslim, we are not allowed to wear short outfits like bikinis, miniskirts or hot pants yet that is what my career demands,” Umuhoza says.

She is currently rehearsing for the annual Kigali Fashion Week which is scheduled for July and will be followed by the Fashion Festival, which she will also take part in.