Gambian
sensation Mariama Cora last weekend finished fifth best in a highly-coveted
Miss Africa Washington Seattle State Pageant.
The
Gambian beauty was in the running for the crown with 13 other beauties drawn
from the continent.
In
what was its first-ever edition, the 20-year-old cat-walked, danced to both
contemporary and traditional lyrics, as well as made a breathtaking
presentation on her favoured topic on the biting effects of early child
marriage, to sway judges mind amid rapturous cheers.
Vying
for the stakes with 13 other dazzling beauties and making it past two
elimination rounds is sure no small feat.
However,
Mariama, the more outstanding of the two Gambians representing The Smiling
Coast in the pageant, lost narrowly but not without finishing on a respectable
fifth position, as queen from Zimbabwe Andile Nobuhle Mpofu scooped the prize.
Formed
by Queen Zeynab Koroma-cum activist and staged at the University of Washington
Kane Hall, the competition offered African women with brains a chance to raise
awareness on social issues.
Speaking
following completion of the pageant, the ex-cheer leader-turned model and a
Beauty blogger, Mariama said: ‘I believed that the pageant went very well. I
went out there and put my all out on that stage. I did things I didn’t think I
could do. And I was deemed a crowd favorite which is amazing meaning those from
other countries in Africa were rooting for Gambia.”
On
the verdict of the judges, the North Seattle College and Bellevue College
graduate went on: ‘I feel the judges had who they wanted and felt would best be
the queen for the next year. Obviously there’s always room for improvement;
next time I’ll come way more prepared in terms of wardrobe and having a larger
team than I did.
“For a first-timer in pageantry, I believed I
did an awesome job and Gambia as a whole did an awesome job. Making it through
two eliminations all the way to the top 5 is an amazing accomplishment.
Although we didn’t bring the crown home, we got something huge; we brought
awareness to our country’
‘I
was able to make so many connections with people who still want to work with me
on my platform, and on my next business ventures. This will all help us as a
whole and as a country come together and do great things. As we all have seen
in the past, whether it’s American Idol or Miss America, you don’t have to win
to do great things. I believe, me being on that stage as a representative of
Gambia and showcasing my best, really worked to our advantage. I can’t wait to
be back in Gambia making our dreams come true’
Throwing
plaudits at those who’d helped her through the rocky journey, she continued: ‘I
want to formally thank Khadija Fofana and Mamo Kora, as well as the young
people in the media.
“For
not only supporting me on my social media platforms, but for spending late
nights with me perfecting my speech, my power points and platform.
“Allowing
me to be a part of something so amazing, yet following me on this long hard and
rocky journey; I also want to thank everyone who voted for me and continued to
believe in me throughout this process.
She
concluded: ‘I also want to thank my husband, Muhammed Kora, for the emotional
support he has given me, and for pushing me to keep going even when I wanted to
give up. For always being my biggest cheerleader and for being the one that I
could always vent to, no matter what time of day or night it was; for anyone
that I have missed it is not intended, I truly appreciate everyone. And I look
forward to what is next for The Smiling Coast of Africa’
