By Emmanuel Esegbue Bertrams
Nwa Ada Ndokwa Organization is a socio-
cultural organization set up to promote the social and cultural heritage
of Ndokwa people who occupy Ndokwa
East, Ndokwa West and UKwuani Local
Government Areas of Delta State.
A principal focus of the non governmental
organization (NGO) is to project and promote the social and cultural values of
the Ndokwa woman, using beauty pageantry as a vehicle toward achieving the
goal.
The organization also is concerned and
proactively involved in protecting the rights of the girl child, fighting
cultural practices against women, such as female genital mutilation and
oppression of widows etc.
Behind this human and societal
developmental institution, is a young woman, whose antecedent easily defines
her as a woman living a purpose driven life.
Queen Valeen Oseh combines beauty and
brains and she has gradually emerged as one of Ndokwa daughters who are
determined to add value to her father’s land by ensuring that her education and
brand identity as a model and beauty queen with multiple awards in pageantry
are utilized to provide a voice and direction for the coming generation of
Ndokwa Youths, especially ‘woman and the girl child’.
Queen Valeen Oseh is a First Class graduate of Computer Science, of the Delta State
University, Abraka. She is currently rounding up her National Youth Service
programme at the Taraba State
University, Jalingo where she is currently lecturing. After participating
and winning various laurels in pageantry, she established the Nwa-Ada Ndokwa Organization in 2012,
to organize the annually Nwa-Ada Ndokwa
Cultural Beauty Pageant which she
has organized annually since 2012.
She is currently putting resources together
to host the 2016 (5th Edition) pageant with a promise to move the pageant to
the next level.
Queen Valeen Oseh granted this interview to
Emmanuel Esegbue Bertrams, a veteran Journalist and media consultant.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
Introduction
I am Queen Valeen Oseh by name, a first class graduate of Delta
State University (Delsu) I read Computer Science in the Department of
Mathematics and Computer Science, Computer Science Unit and graduated in 2014.
I am rounding up my youth service this October 6th 2016, and I am
currently serving in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Taraba State
University where I lecture.
I am the CEO Tisova Relief Concepts, organizers of the annual
Nwa-Ada Ndokwa Cultural Beauty Pageant which is a traditional pageant designed
to rekindle the cultural values of Ndokwa people & empower the girl child.
Asides being a First Class graduate, I am a Model, Actress,
Presenter, Fashion Designer, professional make up artiste, motivational
speaker, writer, Editor of articles of any kind, Farmer (currently thinking of
starting my personal farm), project manager, Events planner, and a Giver. The
list looks endless but it is what it is.
When did you host the 1st
pageant?
The 1st Pageant was organized in 2012. By that time, it was Nwa-Ada
Ukwuani Cultural Beauty Pageant and it held annually till year 2014 when we
changed the name to Nwa Ada Ndokwa
Cultural Beauty Pageant to reflect the nationality of Ndokwa Nation as one
unified ethnic nation with one history and one future.
What inspired the vision
to organize the pageant?
First and foremost, Nwa Ada Ndokwa
was a dream I had for somebody else. As a growing child, I was fortunate enough
to have schooled outside my Local Government which includes my nursery,
primary, secondary, diploma and degree education which I did in Delsu and that
exposed me to a lot of events and concepts. These exposures made me think,
first of my origin, which is Ndokwa and how they could benefit from social
events like pageantry.
At that time there was a tall pretty girl I always admired and
wished she could start up events like this. I held on to that dream for her for
years until after I attended a Pageant in 2012 and emerged Second Runner Up
that I personalized that dream. I realized being tall, pretty and beautiful wasn’t
just enough. We have dreams for other people yet fail to put ourselves in that
dream, its just like individuals expecting so much from the Government without
thinking of what they can do for themselves and also the Government. With that
understanding, I decided to start and not wait for manners to fall from heaven
as I believe that Ndokwa can produce the next MBGN and MISS WORLD.
As a student I contested Miss Ndokwa Delsu Chapter in 2009 and Miss
Ndokwa (NUNS) National. Actually I am the first FUNS National Queen. I also won
the Miss Ndokwa Delsu Chapter.
I also contested Nwada Anioma and emerged Second Runner-Up. This was
2012 and Miss Peace Delta State which I won that same year. Also, I
participated in Delta Talent Quest Acting Reality TV show; a Project of the
Delta State Government and I was the only Ndokwa person out of the 10 persons
that were selected among thousands that auditioned for the event in Warri,
Sapele and Asaba; that made it to the house where we were camped for one month
and I eventually emerged the 3rd position in 2011 with Three hundred thousand
naira cash prize from the state Government. I have been a State Ambassador
since 2011.
All these experiences I gathered gave me the knowledge and
inspiration to come up with the Nwa-Ada Ndokwa Concept and it took a cultural
dimension to change people’s mindset towards pageantry.
How were you able to
combine your academics with these pageants you participated in and organize?
Actually, at that time I started, it was very challenging but I
didn’t lose sight of my academic pursuits because my priority was coming out
with a First Class. I was able to juggle both of them in such a way that there
wasn’t a clash between both.
My events were usually scheduled to hold during the holidays,
December to be precise. The ones I participated, I ensured they were not during
school time, I also read ahead.
Can you give us a clear
picture of the objectives of the Nwa Ada Ndokwa which you desire to achieve?
NWA-ADA NDOKWA is not just a pageant, it is a vision. It is a voice
for the girl child. The pageant was conceived to showcase and promote the
cultural heritage of Ndokwa people.
It is to promote the growth and development of Ndokwa tourism
industry. It is to train and groom young and talented Ndokwa daughters with the
aim of promoting the cultural and traditional values of womanhood.
We are using the pageant as a vehicle to fight social vices like
Prostitution, rape, female genital mutilation, gender equality, etc. This we
will achieve through female rights Advocacy and demonstrating the power and
values of women in our family system and community lives.
It is also designed to serve as a serious voice for the womenfolk of
Ndokwa nation especially the girl-child, female and women in general. We are
interested in promoting feminine gender. We are the voice against rape, female
genital mutilation, prostitution, human trafficking, cultural practices against
widows and relegation of women generally in relationship, politics and
business.
What reform(s) do you have
in place to address the general perception that pageantry is a morally depraved
event?
We don’t actually encourage undue exposure of cleaverage, because of
the general outcry against such practice. But it is wrong to completely dismiss
the bikini culture because it’s foreign and English. If you look back into the
mainstream African Cultural heritage, you will notice that what we call mbenuku
is actually the English swimsuit. It merely covers the breast and pelvic
region.
Even in the earlier times, take the time of Adam and Eve for
instance, when they became conscious of their nakedness, they covered their
breast and pelvic region with leaves and felt dressed.
However, humanity has moved and gone a long way in terms of fashion
and moral values. If we criticize indecent exposure in pageant, what do we say
about the new fashion wave that sees people supposedly fully dressed, but with
their breast and pelvic regions exposed by handless tops and skirt slights?
So, considering that our culture frowns at immorality either in
fashion or language, we now tailored our pageant in conformation with the
ideals of our cultural heritage.
What are your major
challenges in your effort to organizing the annual event?
My major challenges have been funding and inability to get sponsors
to partner with us.
Another challenge would have been inability to attract contestants
but this is minor because it’s subject to finance. Contestants want to be sure
of what they would get when they win, so good sponsorship with attractive
prizes would motivate beautiful girls with talent to come out to showcase their
natural endowments.
Also, we have parental
factor. Some parents would not want to allow their children to come out to
contest due to the wrong perception that pageantry is an indecent art. I also
want to use this medium to appeal to parents to allow their children come out
and participate because their fears is actually the reason Nwa-Ada Ndokwa is in existence.
If you have the needed
funds, what improvement would you record in your future editions?
With needed funds, we will do more research on our cultural
heritage, give the events a wider and more intensive publicity, and get great
(attractive) prizes both materially and financially to attract contestants.
Also, we need fund to put the pageant on the world stage by giving
it national and international coverage so that Ndokwa Culture and identity will
get world attention.
We will be able to get professional consultants to tutor and groom
our contestants as resource persons during their camping period.
We would also be able to purchase a bus to convey the contestants
and crew members to strategic locations during camping as well as get a branded
car for The Queen to enable her carryout her pet project during her one year
reign.
Checkout for the publication of part 2 in a week time…
stay connected with us till then.
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