Tuesday December 30, 2003

A brave Ethiopian Beauty makes it to the finalist 20
in spite of sponsors and organizers that could not keep their promise
 

Even though organizers of the beauty contest and sponsors failed to provide the necessary support to the first Ethiopian beauty to participate in the Miss World Beauty contest that took place in China earlier this month, Hayat is forgiving;

“I don’t blame them for this. It was a matter of making Ethiopia better known to the other parts of the world, changing the negative image of our country.

So I can’t blame them for trying.”

 Capital: How was your flight? Was it first class?

 Hayat: Although my ticket was for economy class, Ethiopian upgraded me to First Class to and from China.  

 Capital: Was this your first time flight out of Ethiopia?

 Hayat: No, I have traveled to Kenya, Mozambique and to South Africa.

 Capital: Did you get all the support you needed from your organizer?

  Hayat: No.

 Capital: Why not?

 Hayat:  I think my organizers didn’t get as much support as they needed from the sponsors, that’s why they couldn’t support me. But Mr. Gadol himself gave me dresses that he designed; three or four other sponsors including Fashion Ethiopia gave me leather outfits that they had promised to donate to the Miss World Ethiopia beauty contest in Addis Ababa.

 Capital: Does that mean Mr. Gadol supported you?

 Hayat: In matters of clothing, yes, Mr. Gadol designed most of the clothes I wore to the beauty contest including the clothes I wore on the final day of the pageant. He also gave me moral support.

 Capital: What about the delay in the delivery of your dresses?

 Hayat: I should have taken all my clothes with me to China, but I was told that they were not ready. That’s why I got them just a week before the contest. Mr Gadol was doing most of the design by himself and due to lack of materials he couldn’t finish on time.

 Capital: How was the Miss World contest?

 Hayat: The contest was good. There were 106 contestants from different countries. By the way, they all started preparing four month earlier, they have kept physically fit and they even attended psychology classes to help them adjust better to the situation.  

 Capital: So is it very hard to compete with such contestants?

 Hayat: (Hesitating) …a little, they are well organized, they have all the necessary assistance (hair designers, makeup designers…) but there I was the only one who didn’t have those things.

 Capital: So how did you feel about that?

 Hayat: I tell you, if you are well organized these things can get you the attention of the media. At first I felt depressed because I did not have any one to help me, later I consoled myself and decided the things I brought with me would have to do.

 Capital: Why didn’t hair and makeup designers accompany you to China?

  Hayat:  After I came back home, I heard that the organizers didn’t get enough support from the sponsors, though at first I was told that a hair and makeup designer would go with me. During the contest each contestant had their personal hair and makeup designer, they even had a consultant to tell them what to say if they were asked any questions. But I was the only one who was there alone who didn’t have any support.

 Capital: Do you blame the organizers?

 Hayat: No. I don’t blame them for this. It was a matter of making Ethiopia better known to the other parts of the world, changing the negative image of our country. So I can’t blame them for trying.

 Capital: Did the contest have any influence on your morals? 

Hayat: At first it did have some influence on my morals. When I am invited to a dinner party, the first thing I would ask myself was… what am I going to wear?”

Capital:  I heard that some of the judges in the contest in Addis Ababa are designers and they were willing to give you their designer dresses, why didn’t you accept?  

 Hayat: Actually Mr.Gadol had told me that the designers at the contest here in Ethiopia would give me clothes designed by them. Mr. Mustafa Hansen gave me six dinner dresses but the others took my measurements but never came through.

 Capital: Did Mr. Gadol ask them to design cloths for you?

 Hayat: Yes, not only that, I remember before my departure to China that some of the designers came and took my measurements and told me they would have the cloths ready within 15 days, but they failed to deliver.

 Capital: Are you going to take part in the Miss Universe beauty pageant?

 Hayat: Miss Universe organizers have already called and asked me to join the contest on their website but it all depends on getting the license for Miss Universe, Mr. Gadol has a license only for the Miss World contest but he is trying his best to send me there by collaborating with a Mr. Andy who has the license for the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.

 Capital: Did you get to know some of the beauty contestants?

 Hayat:  I have become friends with most of them, especially with Miss Germany, Miss Guadalupe, Miss Nigeria, Miss Switzerland and with my roommate Miss Lesotho.   

 Capital: Did you try any Chinese food?

Hayat: I tried to sample as many Chinese dishes as possible... I did taste many exotic dishes, but I don’t quite remember their names.

Capital: What did you think about the Chinese people?

 Hayat: They are very friendly, sociable and very hard working, that’s what I really appreciated about them, but I found it hard to communicate with them because I don’s speak Chinese..

 Capital:  Do you think you are beautiful?

 Hayat: ( Laughing ) Yes, very much.

 Capital: What do you feel about being a continental beauty of Africa?

 Hayat:  Being an Ethiopian and wining the title of continental beauty of Africa to me it is a very great achievement because we’ve always said that we Ethiopians are very beautiful and I am very proud to have proved this to the world.

 Capital: Have you learned any Chinese words?

 Hayat: Yes, I have learn simple words to communicate with the Chinese people like thank you, hi and so on…

 Capital: What roles do you plan to play in the fight against HIV?

 Hayat: I personally want to work with HIV victim’s clubs; this will make me very happy.

 Capital: From all the clothes you wore on the contest, which one in your opinion suits you best?

 Hayat:  I liked the Ethiopian Traditional cloths that Fashion Ethiopia designed for this particular event, best. I saved it for a special occasion but unfortunately I did not get a chance to wear it