16 Oct 2017

Ghanzi District Miss RADP 2017/2018 contestants alongside council employees conducted a community service day at Xanagas Rural Area Development Programme (RADP) hostel on Saturday.
The community service day was part of the two weeks boot camp arranged for the district RADP contestants to impart them with life skills before walking the ramp with high heel shoes on Friday.
The day’s activities included laundry, tree planting, painting buildings and playing with the hostel pupils.
Speaking at the event, Ghanzi District council deputy chairperson, Magetsi Modisane described the community service day as a necessity, saying child upbringing in RADS hostel was a tough task and needed concerted efforts of all stakeholders.
Modisane argued that most of the time, pupils spend 3-4 months without their parents.
Charleshill senior assistant council secretary, Christopher Maramba said interacting with pupils would ease boredom, especially that there was no form of entertainment or recreational facilities in the hostel.
Maramba said it could motivate pupils to do well in school.
Meanwhile, community development officer, Joyce Bosele stated that the Miss RADP pageant was introduced in 2013 to ease challenges which the rural dweller girl child was facing such as vulnerability to diseases, poverty and unemployment.
Besides unearthing talent, Bosele said the beauty pageant helped on mindset change and moulding the girl child to become a responsible citizen.
Through community service day, she said they were reviving the spirit of voluntarism and helping the disadvantaged.
She added that sustainable development involved empowering citizens and mainstreaming the disadvantaged into society.
One of the Miss RADP hopefuls from New Xade, Masego Raseme hailed the boot camp, saying they learnt a lot of life tackling skills and mindset change. Another contestant, Amogelang Morris from Qabo expressed gratitude that the government was doing its best to empower the rural populace, but said it was regrettable that some youth failed to make hay while the sun shines.
For her part, the RADP reigning queen, Neo Barkaath reminded contestants that education, Botho, dedication and passion were ingredients of success.
Barkaath wished all contestants the best and expressed hope that they would work hard to retain the Miss RADP title in Ghanzi region. BOPA