SHE is a confident, budding model with a well-shaped body and almost flawless features.

Mirriam Muwowo, who stands at 1.75 meters, had the looks and charisma to captivate spectators attention and overshadow her fellow contestants.
But it is probably her unfading smile and eye contact that are among her most outstanding attributes.

And there was jubilation at Monze Golf Club when the 24-year-old majestically gracefully appeared on stage.

From the start of the pageant, the audience seemed certain that she would emerge Miss Zambia Higher Institutions Sports Association (ZHISA) and true to the speculation Mirriam wore the crown beating eight other contestants.

“Winning this competition is a dream come true, I just had to do my best because I have the potential,” says the Livingstone Institute of Business and Engineering Studies (LIBES) student.

Born to Cyrus Muwowo and Mary Shawa Muwowo on November 1, 1985 at Nchanga South Hospital in Chingola, the beauty queen is the third born in a family of six.

Her first steps to an education were made at Chingola’s Nchanga Primary School in 1992 and she later moved to Kabundi High School for her secondary grades where she discovered her ability to model.

“I started modeling in 1999 at Kabundi High School. I was only in grade eight and it was an exciting experience,” says the first year power electrical student.

Mirriam says she draws her inspiration from the world renown known supermodel, Naomi Campbell whom she is only privileged to see on television and in magazines.

“I like Naomi Campbell because of her looks and she has always made it in her modeling career. This made me realise I had the body and decided to give it a try as well,” she said.

Her first beauty contest was Miss Jets held at her school (Kabundi) of which she emerged queen.

After the Miss Jets victory, Mirriam who was not content with her achievement, prepared herself for Miss Inter-schools contest which was held at Chingola’s Central Club in 2000 and was crowned first princess.

“One doesn’t have to be Queen all the time. I was not demoralised because I had already understood the nature of modeling,” she enlightened.

Mirriam went ahead and paraded herself at Miss Leo which was held at the Arts Theatre in the heart of Chingola in 2001 and scooped the crown.

“In Grade 10, I was queen in Miss Leo beauty contest and yet again was Miss Sibo that same year,” she boasted.

“In Grade 11 and 12, I decided to take a break to concentrate on school because my parents advised me to.”

Mirriam who completed Grade 12 in 2003 only enrolled at LIBES early this year.
“I decided to take part in Miss LIBES after being inactive for many years even though I was barely a year in college because I know what is in me. I joined my fellow contestants who had practiced for a month only a week before the final day,” she said.

She pointed out that it was the first time a participant from her the engineering was getting involved in modeling because they do not normally have the time.

“In our department (engineering), we are always wearing overalls and boots and because of the nature of our course, we do not have the time to show off our clothes like our friends in Business studies,” she explained.

Mirriam described the competition which attracted ten other beauties as stiff.
She reveals that Miss ZHISA was a contest that she did not prepare for because there was not time for rehearsals.

“I was just informed by the college sports administrator Madison Nga’ndu that I was to represent our college because I am the reigning queen,” she recalls.

Upon meeting her fellow contestants drawn from across the country, Mirriam says the only competition she thought she would have face was Miss Mulungushi University.

“I believe self-confidence is important in modeling because I thought Miss Mulungushi would give me a hard time but she lost and went away with nothing,” she noted.

Asked on how she was going to use her title now that she was an ambassador for ZHISA, Mirriam said she would ensure that the association develops by bringing on board other sports disciplines such as track and field events.

“I would see to it that ZHISA expands because at the moment it’s restricted to ball games due to lack of resources but I realize that our friends who are involved in other sports like swimming and rugby would also want to be part of us,” she said.

The newly crowned queen added that she was ready when called upon to work with the team to help improve the standards of sports in higher learning institutions.

“Lack of funding is the major problem in ZHISA and I know my job is to help the association look for sponsors in order to organize big and powerful tournaments,” she said.

Miss ZHISA’s prize included a full paid trip for the Confederation of University and College Sports Association (CUCSA) Zone Six championship slated for Botswana in June next year.

“The prize is great because I now have a chance to go abroad. I have never been outside the country. I have just not traveled anyway, even locally because my dad would not allow me to go for holidays because am the oldest girl child. That’s why I decided to go to Livingstone for college, away from the copperbelt so that I can at least know places,” she said.

Miriam who is now looking forward to the Miss Zambia crown likes singing and playing volleyball apart from modelling.

She advised her fellow models to concentrate on education because nothing could be traded for it.

“I would like to tell my friends to put school first, they should not be cheated by boyfriends who will not even take them anywhere. I have been hurt before and so for me its school first and everything else later,” advised Miriam.