Founded in 2014, the Miss Nigeria USA was established with the aim of celebrating the Nigerian woman while appreciating their beauty, talent, skills and other unique attributes and goals she exhibits. The organization plans to achieve their goal through the Miss Nigeria USA Pageant event where contestants will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their physical, cultural and intellectual attributes as they choose a goodwill ambassador who will represent Miss Nigeria USA Pageant and Nigeria as a whole on a positive light.
They aim to be recognized as a leading world organization that empowers young women and supports them towards achieving their individual goals as they promote their culture.
During my stint as an Editor-at-large for Applause Africa magazine, I wrote a feature on a darling pearl of Uganda, Hasifa Meriam Kivumbi, who is a dancer and a social entrepreneur with a touching story to tell, this would be the beginning of a budding sisterhood and an eventual program partnership in the coming weekend. I am so excited about the second edition of my Afrodreamfest project- Afrodreamfest Houston 2014 which will be a benefit concert/silent auction to support Hasifa’s platform/project Clean Water for Uganda and my new NGO – Adopt – A – Guitar. See flyer. Hasifa is the current, running Miss Uganda USA 2014 aiming for the Miss Africa USA 2014 crown. She undoubtedly has the beauty .. and the brains, the passion… and the drive to give back to the community and especially her continent.
Get to know Hasifa Meriam
Hasifa Meriam Kivumbi is the creator of 180 degrees, a non-profit organization with a mission to “create doors in places where there were once walls” through motivation, inspiration and celebration of personal achievements. As a representative of Uganda, she has taken on the challenge to partner with the Global Water Partnership in their efforts to create a water secure world by 2020 as her platform. In 2012, Miss Kivumbi was crowned Miss. UNAA (Uganda North American Association) and has since been working on bridging the gap in personal achievement between continental Africans and Africans in the Diaspora through 180 Degrees.
Miss Kivumbi has been serving her community for years and has received many accolades for her passion for life and compassion towards others. In 2012, she was named the year’s Local Hometown Hero by the Modern Woodmen of America Fraternal Organization. She has been highlighted for her talents in dance, writing and modeling in the New York magazine Applause Africa and has been featured in many beauty publications including BHF Fashion and Photography magazine.
Do not be fooled however, Miss Kivumbi is more than just a pretty face; she has a passion for learning and education. In 2010, she was initiated into the National Society of ‘Who is Who’ among American Students. In her professional life, she owns an independent beauty consulting business that she uses to motivate and inspire women to feel their most beautiful both inside and out. For three years now she has served as a website weaver for Helpothers.org, an online community of over 1 million participants. The website encourages people to change the world through small and random acts of kindness. She has served as the spokesperson for the Breast Cancer Initiative of East Africa and wishes to share her journey and experiences in humanitarianism in her upcoming book. Currently her energy is directed towards improving the lives of the people of her native Uganda with the Clean Water for Uganda Project
Hear her speak:
To follow Hasifa’s journey to become the next Miss Africa USA 2014, like her Facebook page here, and to support her CWUP platform click here.
The beauty of the African people, the culture, the aesthetically appealing artistry and artifacts has always been a source of exotic wonder and inspiration for further creativity for other parts of the world, even if with an incorporation – a merge of other elements (from other cultures) . Russia is on the spotlight today, I know there is crisis going on right now and hope issues get sorted soon. However, I came across a carefully crafted piece of African inspired artwork done with the ‘Headwrap or Gele‘ as the focal point. Very beautiful and creative shoot, with the use of well placed patterns, colors, form, texture done for the Russian Architectural Digest (not fashion or visual arts), interior design ad campaign for their textile department. The visual art kind of reminded me of Kehinde Wiley and Yinka Shonibare ‘s work , naturalistic and renaissance in appearance while incorporating African elements.
Ironically, Russia was nos 2 on the list of worst countries for blacks to visit according to a January 2014 Atlanta BlackStar article. (Read for details). I am not sure of the authenticity of this claim since I have not visited Russia to share any first hand experiences. According to the piece:
Black visitors will also have to be extra careful when they venture outside of Moscow into the rest of Russia. In a chilling warning, the Russia expert of New Republic, Julie Ioffe, said, “There’s quite a bit of violence against people considered to be Black” in Russia, raising new fears about the safety of Olympic athletes, visitors and media attending the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Ioffe warned that nowhere in Russia is safe for a person of color to visit, outside of Moscow’s city center. – @ATLBlackStar
After all is said and done, there is no doubt that the continent and her people are a source of attraction for aesthetic and cultural inspiration . Here’s the AD Magazine Russia photos below- Taking Headwraps and Fabrics to a Whole New Level for their ad campaign for designer fabrics/textile division. Enjoy!
PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer Olga Volkova Tuponogova-
Stylist: Natalia Obukhov
Model: Keshia Asiedu
Producer: Maria Kuznetsova
Makeup artist: Polina Karpov / MaestroArtExtraordinary
Assistant Photographer: Konstantin Egon
Assistant Stylist: Katerina Konyushenko
Coming Soon, this Fall, is a web series that caught my interest. Why? First of, the beauty and power of the visuals that dropped in my news-feed led to my curiosity which was nicely fed :-).( I can’t over-emphasize the power of visual branding).
“A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. The expression “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” appears in a 1911 newspaper article quoting newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane discussing journalism and publicity – Source Wiki
The ladies, so elegantly presented, oozing of African aesthetics and glam are the characters from the series. ‘An African City’ is about five beautiful, successful African females who return to their home continent and confide about love and life in ‘An African City’!
Written by Nicole Amarteifio (Creator, Writer, Co-Director & Executive Producer)
Character: Nana Yaa, a Ghanaian, was raised in New York state, just outside New York City. She returned to Ghana after earning her first degree at Georgetown, followed by her graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University. Actress: MaameYaa Boafo is a New York based actress. She received her MFA in Acting from Rutgers University and has since worked with The American Globe Theatre as Ophelia in Hamlet, George Street Playhouse’s Company member and Project Y Theatre to name a few. Now crossing over to Film and TV, she has been in commercials airing in the States as well as Angola and just wrapped up a Sci-Fi film before shooting “An African City”. MaameYaa will next be seen in a few of Akosua Adoma Owusu’s films. Dress: Chemphe Bea Photo credit: BOB PIXEL PHOTOGRAPHY Location: The African Regent —Character: Sade, a Ghanaian-Nigerian raised in Texas, works as a marketing manager for a prominent Nigerian Bank based in Accra. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School and spent most of her young professional life between New York and Boston. Actress: Nana Mensah is a Ghanaian-American New York-based actress. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and in her burgeoning career has played onstage with the likes of Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Kline, LaChanze, Mandy Patinkin, Anthony Mackie and Jonathan Groff. TV/Film/Web: The Walker (starring Carrie Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, and Rightor Doyle), The Madam (pilot for cable TV written by comedienne Rachel Axelrod), Gracie (Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim, dir.). Selected Theater Credits Include: The Bacchae featuring Anthony Mackie and Jonathan Groff (NYSF/Joanne Akalaitis, dir.), Mother Courage and Her Children starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline (NYSF/George C. Wolfe, dir.), Inked Baby starring Tony Award winner LaChanze (Playwrights Horizons/Kate Whoriskey, dir.), The Tempest starring Mandy Patinkin (CSC/Brian Kulick, dir.), A Question of Impeachment featuring Alec Baldwin, Denis O’Hare and Annabella Sciorra (Culture Project). Training: The Actors Center, Public Theater Shakespeare Lab.Character: Zainab, a Ghanaian born in Sierra Leone, grew up in Atlanta. Her entrepreneurial spirit brought her back to Ghana and she has a constant eye for business opportunities. Her primary business is exporting Shea Butter from Ghana to Europe and the United States. Actress: Maame Adjei is currently a budding television producer, with productions that focus on Ghana’s tourism industry. She is also a member of the production team for the annual Miss Universe Ghana Pageant. With small roles in Speak as well as Coz ov Moni, Maame makes her major acting debut in ‘An African City.’ Maame has a B.A from Temple University and a masters from St. Josephs University both in Philadelphia, PA. Wardrobe: Christie Brown Photo credit: BOB PIXEL PHOTOGRAPHY Location: The African RegentCharacter: Ngozi, a Nigerian and the youngest of the five ladies, was raised in Maryland. After earning her graduate degree in international affairs, she was offered a job at a development agency in Accra. Ngozi is the religious one of the group. Actress: Esosa E is an award winning Actress, Writer, “Directress” named a “Young African Visionary” by Obaseema Magazine and included in Applause Africa’s list of “30 Most Intriguing Africans in NY.” As an actress some recent projects include the television pilots “An African City,” and “Brooklyn Shakara,” along with roles in independent films such as “A Lover’s Call,” “Mother of George, ” “Mysterious Prison,” and Nollywood film “Unguarded.” Her work as an actress has appeared on VOX Africa, BET, BET-J, and MTV and screened in numerous festivals and art circles worldwide including: Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Milano Festival, the MOMA, and the Whitney Biennial. As a filmmaker she has written and directed several short films to date including “50 Bucks in Argentina,” which was an official selection in the 2011 Cannes Film Short Corner, MTV-U Film of the Week, and also won Best Short at the Nigerian Entertainment Film. Festival. In 2012, her short film “March On” won Best Documentary in the Vote it Forward Film Festival. Her most recent film “#Vengeance Is Mine” is available to watch online on demand via Dobox.tv, and on mobile devices via the Afrinolly app. Currently she is fundraising for her first feature film, “One Night in Brooklyn.” For more information visit: http://www.esosae.com Dress: Christie Brown Photo credit: BOB PIXEL PHOTOGRAPHY — in Accra, Ghana.Character: Makena was born in Kenya, but spent most of her life in London. She is from a biracial family, with a Ghanaian mother and a British father. In England, she graduated from Oxford Law and went on to have a successful career at a corporate law firm. However, after a divorce, she decided to return to the continent jobless. Actress: Multi-talented artist Marie Humbert cultivated a love for the arts at an early age. Presently, Marie plays the role of Vivian in ADAM’S APPLES. She was also one of the ten finalists in ‘The Spirited Actor: Africa’s Next Hollywood Star’, with celebrity acting coach Tracy Moore. Marie began her acting career in theatre, captivating roles in SALLINGER by Bernard Marie Koltès and BITTER SAUCE by Eric Bogosian. Marie is bilingual (French/English) and enjoys modern ballet. Marie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Dress: Christie Brown Photo credit: BOB PIXEL PHOTOGRAPHY Location: The African Regent
I love words, poetry, art, beauty, fashion, music, culture, language, unique creativity so when my sister sent this word ‘‘KINTSUKUROI’ my way, I knew I had to research it some more and oh what beautiful discoveries I found.
Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with a lacquer resin sprinkled with powdered gold – Wiki
It literally means “to repair with gold.”; not to make broken things as good as new but even better than new, this reminds me of a spiritual truth: God can still make something ‘goldenly’ beautiful out of our broken ‘human nature’ pieces. The Japanese art of Kintsukuroi or kintsugi, which also means “golden joinery,” is all about turning ugly breaks into beautiful fixes. How precious!
“My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
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Watch this.
Kintsukuroi and the beauty of being broken | Fanon Fanatic
A Beautiful Wednesday to all You Beautiful People 🙂
I have always followed BHF Magazine Africa for some years now and I have been impressed with how they promote the beauty and style of any and everything Africa. I was actually a guest at one of their fashion shows in DC back in 2011 and been featured once on their ‘Yes! I am African’ project. They are currently putting out a call for you African beauties out there so I thought to help them spread the word. They are an official media sponsor of the ‘Miss Africa USA Pageant’ taking place in Washington DC in 2014. See below for more info. If you are beautiful and you know it, go for it 🙂
For more info, check out BHF Magazine FB Page and take a look at their lovely shopping catalog.
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