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Today is the D-day. By the end of the day, we will know who Miss Rwanda 2021 will be after two weeks in the bootcamp at La Palisse Nyamata hotel at the grand finale to be held later today at Intare Conference Arena, Rusororo.

The bootcamp basically was to prepare, equip them with knowledge and skills as well get them fine tuned for the final.

With a number of titles up for grabs, not just the Miss Rwanda crown, the top 20 finalists will take the stage and runway at the magnificent arena with the hope of becoming the next Miss Rwanda to replace Miss Rwanda 2020, Naomie Nishimwe.

Other coveted titles up for grabs include ‘the most innovative project’, to be awarded by Bank of Kigali, Miss Talent, Miss Popularity, Miss Photogenic, Miss Heritage, Miss Congeniality as well as the first and second runners-up.

The grand final will air on Rwanda Broadcasting Agency’s KC2 channel. People outside Rwanda will watch live on Youtube at the cost of $3. To join by clicking on this link: www.missrwanda.rw/grand-finale and subscribe.

But how prepared are the contestants?

It has been two weeks of intensive preparation, confidence boosting and skills development in the boot camp which was characterised by dozens of sessions, covering nearly every subject.

From diplomacy to culture, entrepreneurship and project development to sexual and reproductive health, everything in the bootcamp was planned to ensure that the 20 contestants who made it to the final don’t leave the same way they came.

According to Meghan Nimwiza, the spokesperson of Miss Rwanda, the bootcamp was planned in such a way that would ensure that the girls go back home with the necessary knowledge to help them find a more formidable role they can play in their communities.

“The idea of the bootcamp is to make sure that the girls see the world from another perspective since most of them are still young and since only one will be Miss Rwanda,”

“But how do they leave? Does the dream end here? No. The bootcamp basically was not just to prepare them for the final but also for life after Miss Rwanda,” Nimwiza said.

Katharina Hartwig, the Project Manager of StArfrica in Rwanda, who led the team of experts who trained the contestants with skills to foster entrepreneurship and business ideas, said that their sessions in the first week focused ensuring that the ‘brain’ part of the Miss Rwanda motto ‘Beauty, Brain, Culture’ is emphasized.

“I believe and this brain aspect is really important for us and the work we do with StArfrica. We saw the strongest connection and so we thought why not come and teach these young girls how they can actually come up with an idea for the most Innovative project?” Hartwig said.

Hartwig, who manages a partnership between the University of Koblenz in Germany and University of Rwanda, to foster entrepreneurship, said that their sessions also focused on boosting confidence and public speaking skills for the Miss Rwanda 2021 contestants.

“Public speaking and idea creation sessions were purposely to boost their self-confidence, on the one hand to learn how they will or they can act on stage, to kind of get rid of that nervousness that will always be there,” Hartwig said, adding that the training aimed at helping to turn the nervousness into a hidden energy within themselves to do something great.

Ahead of the most innovative project pitching, Hartwig and her team equipped the contestants with the skills to think and come up with creative and viable ideas, which they can develop into ideas for ‘the most innovative project’.

Hartwig said that the sessions which lasted over six days helped the contestants overcome their fears, having started off shy and at the end of the sessions, a mock pitch rehearsal session was conducted, where the trainers pretended to be the jury.

“You could see a difference,” Hartwig said, adding that they got rid of the shyness and could fit into the 60-second elevator pitch. They managed to overcome their fears, got bold and put their ideas out there as they would before an investor.

After the session, the contestants were shown their own videos of the mock pitch and were surprised by the improvement in their presentation.

Hartwig commended Miss Rwanda organisers for including such sessions because they don’t only empower girls but they also give them a platform to be seen by investors and to network better and explore their entrepreneurial skills.

Under the partnership, StArfrica will take the winner of the most Innovative project to Germany, together with other innovators from Rwanda, on a study tour to boost their entrepreneurial skills.

Fast Learners

Sylvia Makario, a space technology engineer and female entrepreneur, who was one of the trainers, said that the training sessions were aimed at showing the contestants ‘they can do this’ and most of them were quick to learn.

Makaria said that at their age, there is a chance that they had never gone through such an experience of coming up with something, give it a structure and defend it before a panel of Judges, hence it was important to prepare them.

“This was basically to tell them that this is how you think, this is how you go to the world out there and meet people who you are trying to sell a product, this is how you present yourself to your customers, draw them to yourself, make them buy into your vision,” Makario said.

From her experience, she said that the girls proved that if they are provided with the tools, they will run with them very quickly and make use of them. Makaria called for more initiatives to empower girls to explore their full potential.

“It’s a matter of just putting a structure in place and encouraging them to sign up, because at the end of the day, it’s an initiative that is both ways, from either the government or the institutions that are focused on that or and the women or the girls themselves because you find that they are those in the rural areas who will never know if that information is not available to them and presented in a manner that is understandable for them,” she said.

Makario said that from a young age, girls must be prepared to face the world, not only in Rwanda, but globally because the world is becoming a global village and there is a need to give them the skills to thrive beyond home.

Natacha Karangwa, an actress and spoken word artist, who was part of the training team, said that she was relieved by the time they concluded the sessions because when they started, some of the contestants could not even say ‘hi’.

“When we were in front of the girls for the first time, even saying ‘hi’ was a problem. They were so shy and today seeing them presenting their ideas, and being able to pitch them very well in not more than one minute, I can only feel proud,”

Ready for the runway?

Apart from public speaking and idea pitching, the other aspect of the bootcamp was the catwalk training, training them how to manage themselves on the runway.

The contestants were trained by Neza Rachel, an artist, content creator and fashion model by profession for the last five skills.

Neza’s role was to teach the Miss Rwanda contestants how to catwalk in high heels, pose for cameras and develop their outer selves.

“I taught them how to present themselves on stage in general. It’s all about your poise, elegance and confidence because everyone got their unique walks,” Neza said.

Neza said the first session with the contestants learning to walk in high heels was challenging, however some of them were already models and knew how to do the catwalk.

“These are skills you learn by the day. You don’t wake up knowing how to catwalk. It’s about practicing your posture, eye contact, your smile, confidence etc. You don’t want to leave the stage and be saying ooh I wish I could do it again you only have one chance to perform that’s why it’s important to prepare how to present yourself on the stage,” Neza reveals.

“So far they’re doing well, making progress ready for the final event. First of all, it takes courage to be in a beauty pageant competition. You want to impress the judges and audience why you should be crowned as Miss Rwanda,” she adds.

Cultural dance

Though the Rwandan cultural dance looks graceful and easy on the eye, mastering every move and step is not a walk in the park.

Icakanzu Contente Françoise, who has been training the contestants, says the past two weeks have been vital for the girls to learn about their culture, including the dance and other revered practices that were reserved for ‘Nyampinga’ in the Rwandan culture.

“I can say they have improved greatly. Some already knew a few things but the most important part is all 20 of them being able to coordinate on stage. I am confident they will do it,” says Icakanzu.