PHOTOS: Kwizera crowned Miss Naiades 2016

Miss Rwanda 2016 first runner-up, Peace Kwizera, has made her country proud after she was crowned Miss Naiades 2016 during an event that saw her battle it out with 12 other contestants drawn from across Africa.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Sharon Kantengwa

A winner's smile. Miss Kwizera smiles upon being crowned Miss Naides 2016 in Cotonou last week. / Courtesy

Miss Rwanda 2016 first runner-up, Peace Kwizera, has made her country proud after she was crowned Miss Naïades 2016 during an event that saw her battle it out with 12 other contestants drawn from across Africa.

This is the third time Rwanda has participated in the beauty pageant since 2013, and the second time our own has taken the crown.

Peace Kwizera, right, smiles ahead of the pageant. / Courtesy

A contestant in Miss Naïades 2016. / Courtesy

The event was held in Benin’s economic capital Cotonou with the other contestants coming from Togo, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Togo, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Chad and Guinea.

The Rwandan representative was all smiles as she was crowned. / Courtesy

Benin’s Kpogbezani Lucrece and Guinea’s Kenta Awa emerged first and second runners-up, respectively.

Kwizera could not hide her excitement upon being crowned Miss Naïades 2016.

Contestants take questions from judges. / Courtesy

She was presented with an air ticket courtesy of RwandAir. / Courtesy

"I thank God that I’m heading back home with itsinzi (victory). I am grateful to my country for believing in me and supporting me,” she said.

She also noted that much as she held her hopes high, her expectations of bringing the crown home were low.

The contestants of Miss Naïades 2016 dancing. / Courtesy

Other beauty queens were in attendance. / Courtesy

"Africa is blessed with a variety of cultures and I don’t know exactly what they were looking for, which is why my expectations of winning were low. I, however, did the best I could to showcase the values of being Rwandan, I just spoke and left the rest to God to handle,” she told The New Times.

Miss Kwizera answering questions. / Courtesy

In Benin, Kwizera was flanked by her mother who cheered her on, along with other Rwandans, most of whom had travelled all the way from Cameroon and Chad to come and support their country’s beauty queen.

Kwizera pipped her rivals to the title after her beauty, intelligence and confidence wowed both the judges and audience.

Miss Kwizera with her joyful mother. / Courtesy

The girls who battled it out. / Courtesy

The other contestants included Stephanie Blandaye from Togo, Grace Oweseni from Nigeria, Diane Biata from Cameroon, Kankoe Aho Branda from Togo, Ornella Gahimbare from Burundi, and Michele Ange Minkatanaf rom Cameroon.

Peace Kwizera after being crowned Miss Naïades 2016 in Cotonou. / Courtesy

Others are Raissa Diarassouba from Cote d’Ivoire, Dorcas Ankwanda from DR Congo, Afua Assieduwaa Akrofi from Ghana, and Yasmine Tchouadang from Chad.

Miss Kwizera with the first and second runner up. / Courtesy

Miss Naïades beauty pageant was first held in 1998. The 2016 edition of the Pan-African beauty pageant was held under the theme, "develop cultural exchange between African peoples”.

In 2011, Rwanda’s Carine Rusaro won the pageant and walked away with Rwf3m, while in 2013, Viviane emerged first runner-up and walked away with a cash prize of Rwf2m.

Miss Kwizera, second from right, with other contestants. / Courtesy

Organisers did not immediately announce the financial prizes for Miss Kwizera and the other winners but she was given an air ticket courtesy of RwandAir and other goodies.

Kwizera is the author of children’s book, ‘Oh Rwandan Child’, that aims at inspiring young Rwandans to dream big, work hard and choose careers that best suit them.

She is also a TV personality.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw