Times Of Swaziland: MR/MISS ALBINISM PAGEANT REGISTRATION OPEN MR/MISS ALBINISM PAGEANT REGISTRATION OPEN ================================================================================ BY DUDU DUBE on 12/07/2019 03:53:00 MBABANE - The last call. The President of the Swaziland Association of Persons with Albinism (SAPA) Philemon Gama has officially called out people who would like to participate in the Mr and Miss Albinism pageant. In an interview Gama said that they had extended the registration date to July 20, 2019. “We decided to extend the date just to give people more time to register as we currently have 10 males and 10 females. Our target is 30 candidates, which is 15 females and males,” he said. The pageant was launched two weeks ago with the aim of educating Emaswati on the myths and misconceptions associated with people with albinism and to also eradicate the bullying and isolation they go through in their daily lives. “This pageant is not only about beauty but it is also a way of advocating for people with albinism with the goal to also boost their self-esteem,” he explained. Ages Gama further clarified that only people with albinism between the ages of 18 to 35 years were eligible to enter the competition. He also emphasised that the only restriction was a person’s marital status. “People who are married cannot part in the pageant, only those who are single or have children can participate,” he said. The registration fee to this inaugural pageant is E100. The finale will be on August 10, with the winner set to represent Eswatini in the Mr/Miss Albinism Africa which will take place in Zimbabwe. Pageants Eswatini President Catherine Potgieter lauded SAPA for their ingenuity in coming up with a brilliant idea. “This is a great initiative and we are urging the nation to come out of their shells and support this programme designed to encourage people with albinism,” she said. It is not new for a Liswati with albinism to venture into the modelling industry as our very own Nicole Dludlu is making great strides gracing local and international runways. The Entertainment desk tried to get in contact with her and left a message on her social media account but all efforts proved to be futile. Moreover, studies shared by the President of SAPA to the publication, show that there are 7332 people with albinism and they are sure that the event will be a success with the support of the public. However, this pageant is not new in Africa as countries like Kenya and Tanzania have been hosting it. Interested candidates can contact Gama on 7679 1886 or Nelisiwe Shiba on 7665 9326 for more information on the entry applications.