 Welcome back to Y-254 in the morning. It's Wednesday and if it's Wednesday it's WCW, a segment where we celebrate women who are impacting positively in our society. You can engage with us on all our social media platforms at Y-254 channel. Engage me at Fapensoli. Miss Wild Kenya is back after a year break due to COVID. And today we are talking about beauty and brains to be specific modeling in Kenya. And in studio today we got a gorgeous woman, beautiful Miss Cooperative University. Her name is Anne Kamau. Welcome to the studio. Thank you very much. Yes, so Aman Manjilu Kamau as you've said. So growing up I had this fallacy that when you want to be a beauty queen or rather a model all you have to know is just walking in stilettos and all that. Is that what it all involves to be a beauty queen? No, that is not it. You should have brains. We all have brains. It's not all about the work. You should be confident. You should have brains. Almost everything. It's not all about the work. We are not looking at the work only. We are looking at a lot of things. And so is this something that you have been practicing ever since you were a child or you just went to university and then you decided this is what I want to be. Actually I never thought of modeling when I was young. I was not into modeling when I was young but people will tell me. People are like when you are slim you should be a model. So I was not much into modeling but my parents have helped me to get where I am right now. It was my parents that were like you should go to training. Actually I can remember my first day to attend training I was taken by my dad and my mom usually calls whenever she wants me to go somewhere. So what's the process that you have to go through to be a model? So the process you have to go through to be a model. First of all you should accept. Like you should accept you're going to modeling. You should accept that you'll face a lot of challenges and you should accept that you'll tackle all of them. Then you should have patience. Before you start it you should have patience because you'll face a lot of things. Then you'll have to do training. Yes you'll have to train. What kind of training? You'll have to train how to walk on heels 5 inch and above. Then what? You'll have to train how to talk when there are a lot of guys. Not like the way we are talking. You have to talk audibly that a lot of guys can hear you. Then you'll have to work on your confidence and courage. You'll have to work on those and smile. And brains. Exactly. Do you really need to starve yourself to be a model? No, why is that? You don't have to do that. Because we have many types of modeling. Like there's pigeons where you feel guys should starve now. And we have commercial modeling where it's open for everyone. Like anyone can do commercial modeling. If you're thin, short, tall, commercial modeling tackles everything. Because nowadays we've got plus size models. Yes we have plus size models and I'm very proud of them. I really love them because that means they are confident enough to showcase what they have. Exactly. So when you go into modeling, like for you, you're miscooperative university. Yes I'm miscooperative. What prizes, or rather what prize came with the coveted crown? So it depends on the title and you've asked about miscooperative specifically. We have different prizes. You may be paid 15,000 and above when you've won. But with time they pay you. And you have advantages. You'll have to go to trips when they go. You'll have to attend a lot of things. So it's not all about the prizes they give but what comes after you get the title and the crown. So you get paid, you've rewarded a prize, you've given a prize. But then again you're like on a payroll. In Kenya, we've been growing up. I would watch, let me say, Miss Wild Kenya on television. As in it was a glamorous thing. It would be aired whenever the competitions were there. And then it was something that was so much followed. But today it's like the tradition is dying out. Why do you think it's happening so? I don't think the tradition is dying. We can obviously say it's dying because I feel as much as it's not aired as it used to be, things will still happen. Right now it was maybe it was not aired on TV but in social media platforms, other social media platforms we watched the event. So maybe it's because right now there is COVID. We don't want a lot of guys in one room or one place. So that was one main reason is because of COVID-19 and another one is because of support. Like a lot of guys are not supporting models. No one is really supporting models. We want modeling to be on a higher scale but a lot of guys are not putting effort on it. We have a lot of models out here but supporters are so less. Why do you think that not so many sponsors to be specific are not coming on board? Is it because it's losing its glamour? Is it because it's not something as coveted as it was before? I feel it's because we've not convinced them as much as possible. We should show them what we can do and they should give in to what we want to show them. They should give us time to show them what we have. I can remember sometimes back, Cecilia Mwangi. She was one of Kenyans queens, Miss Wild Kenya sometimes back. And then she came up with a Jigas campaign. And she did it even after the crown. She continued with the mandate of eradicating Jigas in her foundation. But you find that subsequently other queens that have come after her, we are not hearing of them. So what's happening in the industry? The thing is the Jigas campaign was a big one. Like we've not heard of someone doing such a thing. So it was outstanding. It went places and she continued doing that. We have other queens and they are doing things that we've heard of. That is because they are not as unique as the Jigas campaign. A lot of queens are doing pad drive out here. They are looking after kids with disability and kids who are at the streets. So I feel Jigas was something that we've never heard of. But pad drive and looking after kids who are disabled and who are at the streets are things that we hear about. So that is why we can't hear of them now and then. And you find that in most cases people will come for auditions like you. You went for auditions and you are not just alone. You are so many people because I know that when you are competing, people really come out because everyone is feeling like I'm beautiful, I can do it. Do you think that the process is usually fair or it is whom you know when it comes to judges? So when we talk about auditions, it's not about people you know. It's about your brains, what you'll have to do and what you're presenting. Because I know one thing with beauty, it's all about opinion. Like me and you, we are here and then our camera person is the judge. And then you find that our judge decides to choose me according to how she views me. Because beauty to her is in her, she is the beholder of what beauty is. So you find that it's all about opinion, what you think about this particular person and you can use that opinion to influence other people. So you find that this one has got a positive opinion towards you, then influence is the judges to choose you. So that is why I'm asking, do you think that is usually fair? Whoever wins, does he or she win fairly? Yes, because whenever someone wins, it means you're outstanding. You're 10 people, then one of you wins. Why is the person winning and you've not won? Like all of you have the same work, you have the same smile, but you don't know what happened. Maybe the person answered the question correctly. But we don't look at the answer, we look at how you present your answer, how confident you are and how you answer it. The way you say that the judge will look at things, personally I feel we look at beauty and brains. And to me beauty is what you present to the world non-verbally. So whenever you answer what you've been asked, try to tackle things that are happening in the world. As much as the question may not look at that, try to think of that. Because we are looking at the society and the society is anyone who is in need. Yes, in need of your help, that is it. So there was a time in 2016, there was a Miss Wild Kenya, 2016 was decrowned, you remember? So apparently she was decrowned because she was not conforming to the rules and guidelines of being a Miss Wild Kenya and so she was decrowned. So what do you think or what are these aspects that as a beauty queen, as Miss Cooperative University, you should conform to the public image for you to be that influence. First of all, I think it's all about respect. When you respect yourself, you will present yourself to guys well. You will show them what to do, you will show them the steps they have to follow and you will have to present everything in a positive manner. Whenever you win such a crown, such a title, people are looking at you all over. So you will have to mind, you have to change by the way. If you used to do drugs and stuff, you will have to change, you will have to be on a straight line because everyone is looking at you, everyone is judging out here, so you will have to change. So we say you fake it till you make it, you will have to start by faking it and eventually you will make it. As in you won't be taking drugs when you have attack. And you won't, you will have to be a good girl. Will you just be faking it for the crown? Okay, because you say that you fake it till you make it by these drug addicts and then thereafter after you have been crowned, you go back to, after you reign, I mean, then you go back to your old ways. You see, when you practice something, it gets into you. So I feel faking it is you just have to change. You will have to change to someone else who you are not. And you really respect your crown and your title, you will have to change completely. You don't have to go back to who you are because you've changed. You've changed and it's it. That is it, you've changed, not going back. As much as your term has ended, you will still be working. People will know you are the Miss Cooperative 2021-2022. And that means you'll have to stay the one you've changed to a positive person who inspires everyone to live positively. Okay, so speaking of change, for you to be a model or rather Miss Cooperative University, you have to be someone who is relatable. What do I mean? You have a story that you can tell someone. It might be challenges, it might be success stories, it might be anything that can inspire this person. So what are some of these stories that you can stand before people and tell them and then someone says, want to be Miss Cooperative University? Personally, I don't have the stories people have, the stories that you will tell and people will cry. But I have something that I usually tell people that you should accept defeats. That is what models fail in. As in you just go to one competition, you win in your own way. I call it winning in your own way. You were not crowned, then you give up and you start saying it was corruption or stuffs. You don't give up, you'll have to move a step forward. Whenever you fail, you wake up. I'm usually moved by if you can't crawl, you'll have to walk. If you can't walk, run. If you can't run, fly. But in everything you do, just make sure you're moving. Don't stay stagnant. Just because you lost one event, it doesn't mean you will lose forever. You first have to accept that you lost. You won at your own way. You just accept you won, you lost and you move on. You'll have to practice more. You'll have to have more confidence on yourself, work on your brains and everything will be flawless. Alright. So how do you jungle between being Miss Cooperative University and your studies? Because I believe you're still a student? Yes, I'm still a student. So I'm still a student and I'm Miss Cooperative University. I have time for studies and time to work on projects. I have projects obviously because of the title. So when I tackle projects usually at weekends, that is when we don't have classes and stuff. I don't want it to just confuse as in I don't want Miss Cooperative to forget about studies. I don't want to forget that I went to Cooperative to study and I just look at modeling. I just do modeling on weekends and I study on weekdays. That is it. So what are some of the challenges that you have encountered as Miss Cooperative back in your hood and in the university? In my hood. In my hood I've just said I have supportive parents so I don't have any challenge. Because people be like she's Miss Cooperative University they expect more from me. They expect more from you. So I feel like people really expect more from me and that was a challenge then because I really felt like I just have to reach to where they want me to get. As in they want me to do 6 inch every day I'll have to do them. I feel if I just continue being what they want me to do I'll suffer. There's no way I can be working on 6 inch every day. I can't work on 6 inch every day. So I just had to be myself. I really have to be myself. I know I'm a positive lady and being yourself does not cost anything and they'll accept eventually and eventually they accept it. Like they used to me like this. I'm not on crown every day. It's just me. Actually others don't know me. They will know me when I'm with other guys because I'm not so classy. I'm just simple and clear. That is it. So we are in a society where it's a society of Kituki Dogo. So you find that before you became Miss Cooperative University a lot happens in the music industry wherever in our places it tells you to pull down your pants before you get whatever you want. Have you encountered so? No. I hear people talking about that is like corruption in short. That is what you're talking about. I hear people talking about that a lot and I'm a believer of God. I usually ask God not to let me pass through such things. I've never passed through such things and I hear people saying that I didn't win because of corruption. Imagine if it was you as it will eventually get to you. So if it didn't get to you just accept and move on. Don't drop your pants because of a crown now. There is another crown which is coming. Just give it time. Be patient. Don't rush. Don't rush. Would you advise a young girl who is aspiring to be a model to just go ahead into it? Yes. That is if the girl is ready to be patient. If you feel you'll be patient enough if you feel you won't drop your pants so that you can have a crown go for it. Be patient. That is the only thing I can tell models. Be patient. Be confident. Accept yourself for who you are. Don't force issues. Be the one you are. So moving on. You talked about you doing community work. Yes. Talk about it. So whenever you win you'll have to give back to the society and as I've said society is your neighbor and your neighbor is anyone who's in need of your help. You don't give back to where you belong. I can't just give back to cooperative university. I have to give out to students who are in schools that are there. Children's home which are there and the society at large. So I have done social works. I have given back to the society that is projects have done part drives. I've talked to girls in high school. I've advised them and I've visited children's home and I'm looking forward to bringing up a home for children who are disabled because I feel we are not looking at them and they deserve a lot from us. They need a lot from us. Why disabled and not white? Because when you hear about a lot of projects people talk about part drives. Yes, ladies are suffering but we have people who are looking at that and whoever who are looking at the part drives should work on it a lot. We have others who are looking at the kids who are in streets but you have kids who are disabled. I believe no one want to be left with a kid who is disabled as in you're a parent you have a kid who is disabled you want to go to work you don't want to leave the kid to me and I don't want the kid by the way Atashinda Akini Liliam the kid will just be there and no one I believe no one wants to be left with a kid and the parent won't work eventually so I want a home where the kid will be staying even if it's like from morning then the parent come for the kid in the evening I will just love such a home so that the parent can have time to work and look for food so that the kid can keep moving keep growing I just want that So you're a student? Yes I'm a student and you're doing part drive where do you get the money? So I'm a student we have partnership as in organization we just approach organization and we talk to them people are hurtful people are not hurtless out here so you talk to guys and you just tell them what you want where you want to get what you've done first you begin with who you are what you want to present and what you want them to offer to you so whenever you just tell them you want to give out to the society I believe people really are there to help just talk to people be genuine, be honest and people are there people are ready to help That's so nice knowing but there are people out there who are touched by whatever you are doing and they are willing to help Very willing So on a daily basis or rather what you do every day you know you're a model and people expect you to be heavy in a certain way So just to let our viewers who might be your fans or might be your neighbors might be your friends does a model have to look good each and every day Yes I have to look good Whenever I'm dressed I just have to look good I have to look glamorous Okay, as much as I there's difference between classy and good So as much as I won't look classy every day I have to present myself well to the guys Yes, not classy but good Okay or at times classy and good if you're able Alright, yes It's nice of conversation Thank you very much and continue doing what you're doing We wish to see you one day in being Miss Wild Kenya That is next year Exactly Yes Because for you to be great today you have to start with smaller steps Yes, I have to And so I want you to encourage a young girl out there or even a boy because nowadays we've got Mr. Kenya Yes, but we didn't have one Yes So I want you to encourage someone who wants to venture into modelling and be great one one time in the near future Just look into that camera and say goodbye So hello, you want to be a model out there I've just talked of patience Be patient Be patient Don't give up Don't listen to people who are talking about corruption Don't make you never accept lose And if you don't accept lose you will never win You'll never go to step forward You'll never rise And a queen I'm a queen I'm a queen I'm the queen of cooperative university And whenever you're a queen you accept defeat No matter what you accept defeat and move on like nothing happened So just don't give up train train train have brains not just beauty And beauty you've said is what you present to the world non verbally be loving be caring present to the world what you can positively So what a conversation I know that now we have demystified all the fallacies that come with being a beauty queen being a beauty queen And whoever wants it or whoever looks up to being a model has got one or two things Thank you for whatever you're doing here at way two, three four we celebrate you And so have you ever walked into a restaurant and then just after getting into a restaurant you're so hungry it's lunchtime hour and then you find someone already dining at the door and then you walk in you're presented with the menu and then even before you look at the menu you say I just want to have whatever she's eating and then after just one test of whatever she was eating and you realize this is not what I wanted that is what life is in real life you write your own script but you don't read someone else's script take a step at a time if you want to be Miss Wild Kenya you have to start with Miss Cooperative University for example it's been WCW I've been your host Faith Musoli Thank you for watching Kaisu is up next with Gal Stok