Tokasa Kunadua and Nancy Sharma will be vying for the queen’s crown in the popular Vodafone Tebara Festival which is being staged after a lapse of two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The carnival will be held from October 8 until October 15 at Syria Park, Nausori.

Tokasa Kunadua

Ms Kunadua did not join the carnival as a contestant of her own volition, instead her aunt signed her up even before advising her.

The thought of one day joining a pageant had never before crossed her mind.

She is originally from Navosa/Nadroga Province and shares maternal links in Namara, Kadavu.

Ms Kunadua who is sponsored by Tara’s Supermarket, is a first year student at the Fiji National University, Nasinu Campus pursuing a diploma in banking.

For this year’s festival, her advocacy message is social development.

“I have a challenge in front of me, I have a duty to execute this task of spreading the word about social development under the capacity I will have for one week, being a megaphone for others,” Ms Kunadua said.

“Social development is seen as something that is not a serious matter in society but I want to change that”.

Ms Kunadua said that it was vital for individuals that people respect each other.

Investing in people and recognising their progress as individuals is a key point she plans to highlight.

“Basically, it is about improving the well-being of every individual in society so they can reach their full potential,” the 19-year-old said.

Nancy Sharma:

Beauty is not based on appearance but rather how people project themselves. This will be the main message that Nancy Sharma, sponsored by Stop n Shop Supermarket, will be advocating on at the festival.

The final year law student at the University of the South Pacific highlighted that it was paramount for people to understand that beauty should not be used to define any individual.

“More often than not, people are being judged based on their appearance, especially in how they are treated by others,” Ms Sharma said.

“Beauty in most cases is used, in some instances to give certain employment or maybe how that individual should be treated, people use beauty as a mechanism to rate others, this I believe should not be the case.”

Ms Sharma said society has become accustomed to setting beauty as a code of defining people.

She said stereotyping individuals in communities often hinders the progression of any society.

“This is a big platform, there are many young girls out there that assume beauty and appearance is important,” she said.

“Good education, and treating others around you with respect is the real beauty.”

Story by:  jone.salusalu@fijisun.com.fj