My Miss Tourism Sojourn

Esther Oluka, our reporter, took part in this year’s Miss Tourism pageant and was crowned second runner-up Miss Teso. She shares tit-bits from her journey to becoming a tourism ambassador.

I have always wanted to participate in a beauty pageant both for the experience and to win.
So when advertisements ran about a month ago for girls to participate in this year’s Miss Tourism pageant, I grabbed the opportunity.
The criterion was that we register under regions. I applied under Teso, where I hail from. Then, I was told to wait for a call for the auditions. I used the available time for doing research on the tourism sector in the country by often checking out different websites.
The call finally came on September 25. I was informed there were no auditions but rather all the girls, including myself, had automatically qualified to participate in the Miss Tourism regional-Teso finals.
I was then given instructions which I later followed to head to town, have my hair fixed and then proceed to City Royal Resort hotel in Bugolobi, the same venue where the finals would be held the following day to have rehearsals.
Since we were only seven in the competition, I was not scared. Joram Muzira, a model trainer and director of Joram model management, took us through the basics of how to catwalk which I struggled a lot with. He would shout “journalist!” “Walk like this and not like that.” I got frustrated at some point.
I asked myself what I was doing in a beauty pageant and not on my desk typing stories. But despite the criticism, he kept applauding me whenever I did well.
By the end of the night, I felt that I had improved and was ready for the big event.
I did not invite my parents or friends to the finals deliberately because I did not want to be pitied in case I failed to make it. So, it was just me on that day.
The event kicked off at about 7pm. After we had done the dance choreography and the talent show, the nerves really did kick in during the question and answer session.
Some of the questions the judges asked were easy while others were totally unexpected. Like when I was asked to talk about the kingship in Teso, I knew the answer very well but then was tasked to give it in Ateso. I can speak the language but not fluently. Therefore, I struggled a little bit with the answer.
When I did a self-evaluation at the end of the session, honestly, I did not expect to make it to the top three. So, even when the judges called us back on to stage and my number, six, was read as the second runner up, Miss Tourism Teso, I was shocked. I could not believe it.
I cat-walked to the front hesitantly. Sarah Nyamwenge, a beauty pageant trainer, who was one of the judges that night, walked to the front, put a sash across my shoulder and then a tiara on my head. I felt like a queen.
I automatically qualified for the Miss Tourism finals together with Betty Nyachwo, 24, the first runner-up and Miss Sandra Amongin, 24, the winner.

Most of my friends received the news that I was the second runner-up Miss Teso that night through social media. My father got to know through an uncle who called him the same night. I delivered the news to my mother the following morning which happened to be a Saturday. Both were happy and excited for me.
On that same day, I had to join the other 26 finalists for the unveiling in Mbale District. Then, on Sunday, we headed straight for boot camp under the headship of Ms. Nyamwenge at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) popularly known as Entebbe Zoo.

Adjusting to life at boot comp
Each day we had a programme. We would get up early by 5am; go do fitness exercises till 8am. During the course of the day, we would engage in a number of activities, including getting lectures on wildlife and conservation, we had dance classes and cat walk lessons which I often dreaded because I often assumed that I had the worst catwalk in the bunch. I was not as graceful as the other girls when they walked. Ms Nyamwenge was however very helpful in correcting my catwalk errors. She would also encourage me to practice till I got better.
The unforgettable python photo shoot

Posing for photo shoots taken by fashion photographer Giulio Molfese was another activity which was rather absolute fun. Molfese was very good at giving directions on how we should pose with different subjects. One of my most memorable shoots was posing with a python. Two guides helped to put the heavy reptile around my neck. Then, they instructed me to hold its neck firmly and not let go. As I flashed a huge smile for the camera, the python started coiling its tail around my right leg. It was at this point when the guides carefully removed and carried it away. I then finally let out the breath I had been holding.

My relationship with the other girls
Although the girls were friendly and approachable, I never really got used to most of them since I was not that talkative. However, I was always found it much fun being around Miss Sandra Amongin. She was good at making jokes that really cracked me up.

My biggest worry at boot camp
It was people on the outside thinking that I had joined the pageant as an undercover journalist particularly interested in scooping dirt to write about but I was not! I was not snooping around. It so happened that I joined the pageant at a time I was already in the media profession. All I wanted to was to honestly win so badly like any other genuine contestant.

The pre-eliminations exercise
On Saturday afternoon, we were instructed to get our cocktail dresses as well as shoes ready and out of the dormitory because we were going to change from another room which happened to be some distance away. I packed both hurriedly in different black polythene bags and then headed for hair and makeup.
Later that evening, we were informed that we would be facing a panel of judges for a question and answer session. During changing time in the other room, I realised that the shoes I had packed were the wrong pair as the right ones were left back in the dormitory. Both pairs have almost similar designs but one has a higher heel than the other. The ones I had mistakenly carried had a shorter heel and missing straps. I panicked and asked some of the girls if any one of them had carried an extra pair of shoes but none had. I just wore the shoes that I had, went and lined up with the rest of the girls and then went to face the panel.
When nine girls were eventually called back onto stage including myself and were told that we had been eliminated, my heart shattered. I kept thinking that the shoes might have affected my catwalk and poise on stage. These two are very crucial elements during judgement in any beauty pageant. I was only consoled after being told that despite the eliminations, we would all remain tourism ambassadors working under Ms Nyamwenge and that all of us were to perform a dance routine during the Miss Tourism finale taking place tonight at Kampala Serena Hotel. I have been practising and cannot wait to show off my electric dance moves. See you all there.