A new queen to come

A new queen to comeFarewell Lizelle Esterhuizen It's a bittersweet moment for Lizelle as she shares her moments as the 2016 country ambassador as she gets ready to hand the crown to the next Miss Namibia. Here is what she had to say to tjil about her tenure and what she plans on doing next.



9 July 2016

She says she remembers waking up as early as 05:00 to get ready for the event which was going to take place in the evening. For her, it was a moment… the long week of dress rehearsals and modelling preparations were finally over and done with.

Being the youngest of all the contestants, she told herself that age was just but a number and her talent wouldn't fail her. “When they started with our makeup that's when the nerves hit me.

I told myself its crunch time and I had to do what I must do,” said Lizelle. The crowning moment arrived and Lizelle recalls not knowing what was happening until her name was called out and had to go and receive her new title. She says she didn't realise what her new title meant and the responsibilities that came with it until the following night.

“It hit me that I was still Lizelle but with so many responsibilities. How will I do it all? I think the day after crowning night was the longest and most difficult day of my life because I was only 20 years old and I had to be an ambassador for my country. But, I loved it all,” she said. Lizelle added that her year was a rollercoaster but she took each day, one at a time.



Reigning Lizelle

Every year, the Miss Namibia pageant celebrates beauty with a charitable cause. This honour initiates her drive to bring charity to the less-privileged, to promote deserving social cause, to serve as an example of purposeful living to the young and to bring honour and pride to our nation as a representative of goodwill and an ambassador of Namibia.

Lizelle worked with Michelle McLean on the Woman of Excellence as her official Miss Namibia obligations. She started her Meals on Wheels campaign which she plans on keeping active after her reign is over.

“I gave a lot of motivational speeches at schools and beauty pageants. People have a perception of Miss Namibia as an untouchable girl with good hair, makeup and clothes but, they tend to forget that underneath all, she is a normal girl,” she further says.

She has been fortunate to take two girls on a trip to South Africa with the Take a Child to Work Day project. Many have the perception that Miss Namibia is all about looking pretty but Lizelle says its more than that as many a times the heels must come off and the crown too, in order to deliver and be the best ambassador for the country adding; “It's more hard work than beauty”.



Best moments

Lizelle says being an influence and having impacted people's lives as Miss Namibia is by far the best thing about her reign. She also says being able to engage with young girls and people from all walks of life and telling them they are unique in their own way and strong enough to be who they want to be, was rewarding. “Being able to walk into a room full of people and hearing them gasp and whisper 'she's Miss Namibia' is the highlight of my whole year. The person I was then in my time is who I will always be,” says Lizelle.

Lizelle says another best and life-changing moment was when she represented Namibia in the Miss Universe beauty pageant in the Philippines. Namibia had not taken part in the past six years and having to tell and remind the rest of the world where on earth it is, and share the country's cultures was an amazing experience.

She says amongst many things, she had to learn how to get around by herself and learn how to do her own makeup and hair as she couldn't take a stylist with her. “The experience and doors that opened for me from that platform are overwhelming. Being able to tell people that Namibia is in this part of the continent and these people come from there was new.

The most shocking thing for many was to understand that Namibia and Africa in general, also had white people,” said Lizelle.

Lizelle impressed until the top 20 and she hopes the next Miss Namibia will build on her platform and take Namibia higher in the rankings.



Worst moments

Lizelle says sometimes she would get event organisers who wanted her to appear at their events out of Windhoek which is her hometown at her own expense. This has been tricky for her as Miss Namibia and having to do all the appearing and motivational talking at her own expense, forced her to turn down many of the requests. “Namibians like free things. I don't get paid as Miss Namibia meaning; if something is in Keetmanshoop I have to travel and accommodate myself which was unfair,” says Lizelle.



What next

The beauty queen says it is sad that her reign has come to an end but she's ready to give over her crown tomorrow night at the Windhoek Country Club and Resort to the next Miss Namibia.

The first thing that she will do immediately after handing over her duties is to spend time with her family. “I want to finish my degree in education and just to be in charge of my own time and schedule. It's a feeling that I can't describe really. I have to give the car, crown and sash back but I will never have to give away the title of Miss Namibia 2016,” she says. She thanks everyone who has supported her financially and emotionally through her journey and wishes the next winner all the best.



June Shimuoshili