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Maria Chiguvari

Youth Interactive Correspondent

Courtney Tadiwanashe Jongwe is a beauty queen and model.

She is one of the candidates for Miss Earth 2023 representing Zimbabwe at the ongoing beauty pageant in Vietnam.

The 22-year-old, Jongwe who is studying Chemical and Processing engineering at Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences in Zimbabwe is also a television presenter and commercial model.

Miss Earth, 23rd edition grand finals pageant is scheduled for December 22 at Van Phuc city, Vietnam.

The pageant is an annual international beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environment awareness, conservation and social responsibility.

It is also one of the Big Four International beauty pageants alongside Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss International.

Jongwe succeeds Sakhile Dube, who finished in the top eight last year at Miss Earth 2022.

In an interview with Youth Interactive section, Jongwe said this was an opportunity for her to bring change concerning the environmental sector.

“I feel very honoured to be the new Miss Earth Zimbabwe. I have been afforded an opportunity to be a force for good with regards to environmental conservation protection,” she said in her promotional video.

“l will definitely use this platform to promote sustainable steps towards climate action – ensuring that everyone is on board for collectively we can be the change we want to see. ”

Jongwe was crowned first runner up at Miss Environment Zimbabwe which consisted of 12 contestants and scooped the best project prize.

However, Jongwe’s advocacy focuses on Climate Action, the 13th Sustainable Development Goal of the UN.

She said her advocacy efforts are centralised on taking action through solutions addressing plastic pollution.

“Growing up in the beautiful landmark country of Zimbabwe, I witnessed the devastating impact of plastic pollution.

“First hand, pristine landscapes transformed into dunking ground, plastic waste and wildlife struggling to survive.

But this issue extends far beyond survival’s water.

“It travels through rivers and oceans, affecting countries near and far.

It is estimated that about 8.3 million tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s.

“Of these, only 9percent has been recycled, 12 incinerated and the remaining 79% accumulated ventures into the natural environment, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic, again up in the world’s ocean.

“This has a given stated impact right with millions of birds, fish and the marine mammals dying due to entanglement or ingestion of plastic.

“It’s a global crisis that demands action,” she said in a video.

She has managed to host awareness campaigns, environmental conferences including community training programs to promote responsive measures towards environment management.

“Now as an environmental ambassador, I choose the acronym L.E.A.D.E.R to guide my advocacy. “As an action step for me and everyone who would want to be with me in this vehicle of change.

“I’ll learn about the climate and justice crisis pledging on the planet.

“In this regard, I took time to achieve environmental wood camps. “To further my understanding on the topic, he engaged in conversation with other change reasons.

“I managed to join the change makers conversation through a Zimbabwe television program called Grace Talk, an advocate for policy makers to act on both climate solutions.

“I realised that I was just one voice, but after five my voice.

“I had a number of radio appearances to speak of the measures of sustainability and the action team developing a system in the solution to solve the climate crisis right now.”