The Reigning Miss Africa USA Fifi Soumah graced this occasion as a Special Guest of the Foundation to support the mission and vision of the organization.  Education of children especially girls is very close to Miss Fifi Soumah’s heart as she launches her own Foundation ‘Tears Away’ which provides scholarships for young girls in Guinea.

Queen Fatoumata (Fifi) Soumah on the Red Carpet at the MacDella Couper Foundation Fund Raiser in New York City.

The evening, hosted by Actor and activist, Mr. Isaiah Washington,  kick ed off with a live musical performance by Pop diva Zelma Davis, a collective designers runway show featuring African inspired garments designed exclusively for L ‘Africana Night by a range of designers including: Korto Momolu, Jedda Khan, Sunhee Hwang,  Issa Sorogo, Taylor Forrest, Lucia Eastman, Irina Shabayeva, Tedd Ion, Farai Simoyi and Selma Berisalic Starfinger. Following the show, each dress was  auctioned off.

Queen Fatoumata (Fifi) Soumah and Renowned Actor Isaiah Washington Interviewed by Hollywood TV

The Red Carpet reception and the taste of Africa Banquet kicked off at 6:30pm with the award presentation, runway show and performances starting promptly at 8:00 pm.  The night  included special appearances by: Actor Matt Dillon, and roster of world-class models including Millen Magese, Georgette Beidel, Animata Steele, Aminat Ayinde, Ashley Harris, Danijela Lazarevic, and Melissa Arocha to name a few.

Queen Fifi Soumah is interviewed by the Press at the MacDella Cooper Foundation Event in New York City.

L’Africana is a brand platform built around the design, creation, promotion, and distribution of African fashion, art, music, accessories, culture & cuisine. To date, African-inspired brands have primarily catered to Africans and a small number of non-Africans. L’Africana aspires to be a brand with strong international appeal through the fusion of African aesthetics and sensibilities with modern design, quality, and workmanship.

Ms Korto Momolu,  Fashion Designer from Project Runway and Lady Kate Njeuma, CEO of Miss Africa USA.

All proceeds from the event  benefited the MCF Academy for orphans and abandoned children in Monrovia, Liberia. The MCF Academy is the first tuition free boarding school dedicated to orphan and abandoned children in post-war Liberia. The Academy opened its doors on Christmas Day 2010 and will ultimately house and educate 200 children.

Vice President of Montgomery County Council Valerie Ervin served as the Chair of Miss Africa USA Pageant. Pictured above delivering her keynote speech, she hailed the pageant for choosing Montgomery County as the host county and was very supportive of the Mission of the Miss Africa USA Pageant, empowering young women as goodwill ambassadors for Africa and America. As a woman with several accolades behind her name, she serves as an inspiration to young women and the pageant was very honored by her presence and for gracing the event as the Chair person.  She is the first black woman to serve as Vice President of Montgomery County Council and a very good role model for our youth.

State Representative Mike Glanton, a long time Patron and sponsor of the Miss Africa USA Pageant pictured above delivering his message as a Guess Speaker at the Banquet. He remains full of admiration for the pageant organization as a whole, recognizing how far the pageant has come and what journey there lies ahead.  He encouraged the young women to keep their aspirations high and hailed them for their spirit to serve humanity, he also pledged his continuing support for the pageant.  State Representative Mike Glanton flew in with his dear wife Pearla Glanton from Clayton County Georgia to be at the pageant.

The Banquet night provided a great opportunity to recognize some of the personalities who have been of great support to the pageant, those who have also worked hard to elevate the pageant as well. Pictured above is Mr. Joseph Eyong, Personal Aide to the Vice President of Montgomery County Council, receiving the Leadership Award on behalf of his Boss Valerie Ervin, who also served as the Chair Person for the Pageant.

Miss Linda Arrey and Lady Kate Njeuma Presented the Patron’s Award to Honorable Mike Glanton and His dear wife Pearla Glanton recognizing their patronage and sponsorship. Mrs Glanton spent several days to create some beautiful gift baskets for each finalist in the pageant this year.  The pageant organization remains very grateful for the support of the Glanton family.

A very special Award for a very special Lady, Dr. Aretha Makia received the Miss Africa USA Pageant: Woman of Valor Award. She not only served as the honorary host of the pageant this year, she is also a past beauty Queen who has proven that beauty is deeper than the skin, bigger than the eyes can see.

She was crowned Miss Cameroon some years back, she went on to achieve excellence in education and became a Medical Doctor and now practices as a Women’s Health Specialist in Maryland. She owns her own Clinic, spends time on charity work and she still looks very beautiful. Dr. Makia is an inspiration not only to beauty Queens but to all women as as well. We are very proud of her.

Also present to grace the occasion that evening was Miss Africa USA 2006 – 2007 Miss Teizue Gayflor from Liberia. Miss Teizue completed her reign in 2007 and did so much for her community in Liberia. She gained sponsorship to visit Liberia where she was able to support school children with school supplies, talked to students about the importance of education and had an opportunity to preach the message of peace and reconciliation in Liberia.  Miss Teizue was honored as a goodwill Ambassador for her service to humanity during her reign as Miss Africa USA.

The Program booklet cover designed by Miss Icy Promotions.

The Miss Africa USA Pageant finals moves from Georgia to Maryland and Washington DC for the very first time.  The Delegates are ready and the team is gearing up for yet another cultural explosion celebrating Africa in America.  We encourage all our fans and supporters to come out and support all the beautiful African women representing all the different countries in Africa.  Each Finalist has taken on a challenging micro project to benefit communities in need in Africa and in America. Miss Africa USA Pageant goes beyond beauty. We encourage you to come out and meet the delegates who will be representing Africa at the 2010 pageant as follows.

THE 2010 MISS AFRICA USA PAGEANT VENUE:

Montgomery College Tacoma Park / Silver Spring Performing Art Center

7995 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring MD 20910

Come along and be a part of the coronation ceremony

DATE:  SAT  JULY 24  2010

TIME:  6PM  – 11PM

TICKETS  $ 30  advance and $40 at the Door.

Featuring:

African Fashion Moguls all the way from the Motherland to showcase African Couture in the United States of America.  This year the pageant is very proud to team up with the following Brand names in African couture:

Mustafa Hassanali  from Tanzania

Stella Atal  from Uganda

Judith Ochia from Kenya

Frank Osodi  from Nigeria

Estella Couture in Maryland

Akouavi Fashions Los Angeles

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION

]]> http://missafricablogazine.com/2010/05/05/african-womens-development-foundation-and-spotlight-africa-llc-present-the-5th-annual-miss-africa-usa-grand-finals-and-coronation-ceremony/feed/ 0 missafricablogzine crown1 pac crown pac1 http://missafricablogazine.com/2009/05/30/miss-africa-usa-african-fashion-statement-2008-2/ http://missafricablogazine.com/2009/05/30/miss-africa-usa-african-fashion-statement-2008-2/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 06:02:57 +0000 missafricablogzine Author: Lady Kate Njeuma http://missafricablogzine.wordpress.com/?p=348 ]]>

OMG I said when Miss Liberia appeared on this stage with this mind blowing outfit, just check out the head gear, the Map of Africa on yr head…… you tell me how African can African Fashion get???? She carried it so well, with poise and elegance. This is just so beautiful, look at the lappa trailing….. awesome and it is also very sexy…….I know African fashion rocks.

Pageant night 2008, the beautiful Miss Africa USA, Nyasha Zimucha looks stunning in this beautiful emsemble (South African Flag Dress).  Nyasha spoke passionately of her platform: A Global Citizen Campaign to raise awareness about Xenophobia, attacks on foreigners in her homeland, South Africa. Nyasha.

Nyasha pictured above performing her talent during the pageant competition. She danced to some great South African Rythms such as FREEDOM IS COMING TOMORROW.

Nyasha obviously prepared very hard for the pageant and I guess her hard work paid off as she was Crowned Miss Africa USA Pageant 2008.

She is certainly beautiful, poised, eloquent and full of confidence. Miss Kenya placed as the 2nd runner up at the Miss Africa USA Pageant 2008. She left a mark on the audience in the way she carried herself on stage and her eloquence. Miss Victoria Njau thrilled the audience with her adaptation of the Poem : Phenomenal woman………..An African Woman is a Phenomenal Woman.  She sure gave the poem all its worth on pageant night because she was excellent.  Miss Kenya spoke of a difficult childhood growing up in a little village in Kenya and was thankful to have all the opporutunities that America has offered her and she is now able to give back to her village where children are still very deprived. Her story was very touching indeed.  She rightly said you do not have to be Oprah Winfrey to give back and she is happy to share the little she has with the deprived of the village she grew up in, back in her homeland Kenya.

In all simplicity and modesty, Estella Couture wraps her mind in her creations  as one of Africa’s most sort after Designers not only in the USA but also around the world.  Estella Couture met Lady Kate Njeuma, the Executive Producer of Miss Africa USA back in 2007 at the Miss Africa Preliminaries in Silver Spring Maryland.  Estella was a judge at the preliminaries after which networking between the two followed.  Estella was invited as one of the top designers for the Miss Africa USA Pageant in 2007. She designed for Miss Liberia and Miss Sierra Leone who were among the top 5 winners of the pageant with no doubt that their outfits certainly earned some well deserved points.

The following year Estella was again invited, this time as the Designer for the pageant and her creative mind got to work, producing the Miss Africa USA Signature flag out fits. Each delegate had an outfit made to reflect the flags of their countries. It was awesome, all the vibrant African colors were lighting up the stage at the 2008 pageant.  It certainly was not an easy task to have accomplished either.

Estella was fully on board with the Miss Africa USA Pageant with the most beautiful and glamorous designs for the Evenning Wear Segment. Great African fashion with Western theme. Estella Couture once againg performed beyond expectations. 

 Lady Kate Njeuma is proud to congratulate Estella Couture for her dynamism and creativity, placing African Couture on the agenda in the global fashion industry.  From the Miss Africa USA Pageant we say thank you Estella and May God Grant you more inspirations.

Estella Couture can be reached via her website

www.estellacouture.com

Miss Africa USA at the Thomasville Festival celebrating Black History Month

THOMASVILLE — This weekend marks the second annual Black Heritage Festival, sponsored by Jack Hadley History Memorabilia Inc. and the Douglass High School Alumni Association Inc.

The events are scheduled to start Friday and conclude on Sunday. The three-day event will take place at the Frederick Douglass Complex, located at 214 Alexander St. Some guests expected for the event include Pastor Brian McKinney, the Tallahassee Buffalo Soldier Motorcycle Club and Miss Africa USA 2007-08 Mfonobong Essiet, who will particiapte in Saturday’s ribbon cutting.

Lauren Dixon, professionally known as L-Boogie, will be taking over some hosting duties for the festival. A young and successful black female, she realizes the importance of such a celebration.

“First, as an African-American woman and a historical black colleges and universities graduate, I am always anxious to get involved, and also I am always happy to come to Thomasville to meet my radio listeners who don’t necessarily make that trip to Tallahassee,” she said.

Originally from the Miami area, she moved to Tallahassee to pursue a journalism degree at Florida A&M University. She graduated in the spring of 2006 and landed a job as an on-air personality at Blazin 102.3 FM in Tallahassee. Such education and presence is what landed the gig as host to Saturday’s events.

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FASHION MODELS DIGOL DENG AND NOELLA COURSARIS

For the first time in the Miss Africa USA Pageant, African Fashion Super Models were invited to host the Miss Africa USA Pageant. Digol and Noella made great pageant hosts and kept the show going through the night.  Noella is a top fashion model based in New York City, she is also a great humanitarian promoting |Education of the Girl Child.  Digol is also a top fashion model based in Georgia and he runs a non-profit organization benefiting children in his homeland Sudan.

Jewel Nana Thompson: Miss Ghana USA 2007

Jewel Nana Thompson won the Humanitarian Award for 2007, she had a great humanitarian platform which she is determined to see through. Miss Jewel is partnering with the Ghanaian Community leaders and also the African Women’s Development Foundation to put together a Medical Mission in Ghana. Miss Jewel is leading this project that has taken some time to get off the ground but I am glad to say it will soon become a reality when a container of Medical supplies and equipment will be delivered to a hospital in Kumasi Ghana in 2009. The pageant is supporting Jewel in her endeavors.