Clad in her maroon dress with checked top, she waved and threw an expensive grin amid the cheers, matching like a queen as the gentle wind lifted her hair above her shoulder. It was Asha Mary Lomude’s memorable moments in life: she had just been crowned the Miss States South Sudan 2021 after elbowing her way to see stiff competition from other worthy contenders. 

It was on Saturday when the Central Equatoria State celebrated her crowing at Juba’s Nyakuron Cultural Centre.

The celebration was marked with different cultural dances of the Mundari, Bari and the Pojulu communities alongside other entertainment sessions which featured season artist WJ De King and comedians. 

Called upon to speak, Asha for a change in the misunderstanding of beauty that she said had overemphasised the physical outlook of women.

“The ideology about beauty has largely been physical outlook but today the understanding of beauty needs to change. To me beauty is beyond the totality of the physical outlook; it includes the heart desires, the brains,” she remarked.

She said that with her skills and experience, she was planning to educate the public and create awareness about the value of young girls and women in the country.

Work ahead

As the reigning Queen, Asha is bound to implement projects within the two years of her throne which she said she already made the blueprints for the projects to be implemented both in the states and the national level.

 She said: “At the national level, I intend to organise a cultural gala that brings different people to showcase the diversity and the beauty of different cultures. This is supposed to be supported by the 10 states.

“At the Central Equatoria level, I intend to support the youth skills development through self-reliance initiatives such as baking, tailoring, candle making, and liquid soap making.”

“These projects will help to equip the selected youth from the particular counties. So, they can be able to have skills to create self-employment for themselves,” Asha stressed, as she talked of the importance of training youth.

As a female and a social worker revealed that she has the vision to support girlchild education and reproductive health to the community through awareness campaigns.

She urged the government and the development partners including the private sector to support her and the team to implement the planned projects for the benefit of the youth in the country.

 “I also intend to support the girlchild education, that is by supporting the girlchild activities such as carrying out campaigns and community health through project activities linked to reproductive health and community hygiene.” 

Educating the girl

Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr Martin Elia Lomuro echoed the importance of educating girls so that they can showcase their talents.

“By educating our girls, we liberate them from illiteracy and we are opening up their minds and brains to learn and exercise the intelligence that God has given them through their beauty,” Elia revealed.

“Today, I stand very proud because two years ago my younger brother Latiu Ramba invited me to Kampala to attend practising activities of this young Queen and I thought it was a joke by then. I went twice and we have produced (fashioned) girls who can now speak without a piece of paper in front of us and talking sense all through congratulations,” he added.

Dr Elia expressed gratitude to talents that were showcased by the young talented South Sudanese who have not been recognised.

“I truly feel this is an activity that has touched my heart, and if on some occasions we have made ourselves absent; I think this one shows me that I have to be present all the time provided that I am here because I see our presence encourage all of us and makes us feel we are valued,” said Dr Lomuro.

He urged the community to encourage girls to excel in their talents and vowed to always support talented youth to achieve their dreams.

“We value you truly from our hearts, you can see Central Equatoria is here, the government of South Sudan, and you can see our businessmen in their various capacities present. 

“Today you should give the Queen the gratitude for making the community proud, our beautiful stand tall and proud and we will continue to support you at any time at any cost,” he said.

Dr Lomuro said such activities unite the people of South Sudan and he urged the citizens to continue embracing peace through many activities that can unite them.

“I can’t believe during my time we were always looking towards Zaire Congo for musicians, today we have brilliant musicians singing in our languages we can understand the meaning of it. I can’t believe a little girl Kiden being a professional comedienne even before she is 15 years old that shows you we are developing,” he said.

“I can’t believe our traditional dance have even improved even the traditional ways with which they dance. I always thought a dance of Bari is just jumping up but now there are changes like shaking waists and the hands going together with the drum” he added.

Dr Lomuro hailed the business community of South Sudan for supporting industrial activities that encourage young people to develop their talents.

Inclusiveness

“I am also impressed that our businessmen are sponsoring such activities, industrious activities. You can see from ARC a combination of South Sudanese: a Dinka is an owner and another Equatorian is there, others are there and more are coming up seating near points,” he said as he appreciated the local businesses.

Dr Lomuro said the mandate of the current government was to restore permanent, durable, and sustainable peace so the people who are in the IDPs and refugee camps can return home to allow for the process of reconciliation and healing in the country to take place.

“All of that is to create the environment necessary for our children to go to school and be educated and to learn and take over. At the end of the transitional period, we are bound to hand over power to you our people and you elect your leaders that what is called peace,” Dr Lomuro said.

The deputy governor of Central Equatoria State Sarah Nene said there was a need to allow young people to exercise their talents so that they can improve.

She said empowering young women was so crucial for their participation in society.

“Let the young people follow their dreams and their passion, a way to improve our girls in their social skills and exercise their talents to best of their ability. 

“We want to see our girls performing well in their self-stick and we are encouraging you the rest to do so and our queen Asha, please take it from here and go on,” Nene stressed.

She advised Queen Asha to act as an example to the young girls who have talents to express in their different communities.

“This is not the last destination you still have a future and we will stand with you as a state and this an opportunity for you our Queen to serve the responsibility of being ahead, being heard, and of role model in the counties and the society” she advised.