Search for Miss Rwanda 2016 Begins

By Moses Opobo

On November 15, 2015, in Sandton, South Africa, former Miss Rwanda finalist Joannah Keza Bagwire did Rwanda proud: she scooped 2nd place in Africa and 4th worldwide at that year's annual Miss Heritage Global beauty pageant.

Formerly known as Miss Heritage World, Miss Heritage Global is an international beauty contest that seeks to promote world heritage. The brainchild of Zimbabwean Tare Munzara, the pageant brings together women from across the globe to showcase their countrys' national heritage.

Bagwire, whose middle name Keza means "beauty", was among the 2015 Miss Rwanda finalists, where she was crowned Miss Heritage Rwanda 2015, and this is the ticket she used to qualify for the Miss Heritage Global beauty pageant.

Bagwire easily attributes her win in South Africa to the experience she gained contesting in Miss Rwanda, and above all, hard work.

In its fifth season now, this year's pageant will kick off on Saturday, January 9, with auditions for the Northern Province held at the Virunga Hotel in Musanze town, moving on to the Western Province the following day, for auditions at the Gorilla Hotel in Rubavu.

There will be a one-week break until January 16, when auditions for the Southern Province will be held at the Hotel Credo.

The following day, January 17, the auditions move to the Eastern Province (Eastland Hotel), winding upin Kigali on January 23, at the Sports View Hotel in Remera.

In all, five contestants will be picked from each province, bringing the total number to 25, but at the pre-selection stage, this number will be trimmed to 15 finalists that will compete for the coveted crown at the grand finale slated for February 27, at Camp Kigali.

And as a former Miss Rwanda contestant who is going places courtesy of her Miss Heritage crown, Bagwire has a word of advice for this year's hopefuls: it's all about hard work!