Miss Nasinu Faith Vaidamu to champion youth empowerment
Faith Vaidamu hopes to inspire young people, particularly girls, to believe in themselves.
Sunday 11 October 2026 | 11:30
Updated 11 October 2026 | 13:20 FJT
Newly crowned Miss Nasinu 2026 Faith Vaidamu at the crowning night of the Nasinu Festival on October 10, 2026.
Photo: Talei Roko
Newly crowned Miss Nasinu 2026 Faith Vaidamu says she will focus on empowering young people through identity, leadership and community advocacy as she prepares for the Miss Fiji competition.
The new queen said winning the title was unexpected, crediting her faith and the support of those around her for helping her through the competition.
“To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this. I couldn’t even believe it was possible for me to win this competition,” she said.
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“But I’m feeling great, grateful, proud and very blessed.”
Ms Vaidamu said she never imagined that a simple encouragement from her cousin to enter the pageant would become an opportunity to inspire other young people, particularly girls.
“At first it felt like just a dream, but now I’m living that dream, not only for myself but also for little girls who may look up to me,” she said.
The week-long competition also helped her confront one of her biggest challenges: a lack of self-confidence.
“I wasn’t confident in myself,” she said, adding that she had come to understand the importance of being passionate about her platform and advocacy.
Ms Vaidamu plans to take her advocacy directly into communities, focusing on youth identity and leadership.
“I want to go around communities and put action into my advocacy. My focus is empowering youth in identity and leadership,” she said.
She said awareness and education were important in helping young people make informed decisions and protect themselves and their communities.
Ms Vaidamu acknowledged the responsibility of following former Miss Nasinu Ailaba Simons, who was first runner-up at Miss Fiji and represented Fiji internationally.
She said she would do her best at the national competition while continuing to work on herself and how she carried herself.
“Whether I win or not, that’s in His hands,” she said, referring to her faith in God.
Her message to young people was to remain true to themselves, support one another and believe in future opportunities.
“If something doesn’t work out, maybe it wasn’t meant for you. There are other opportunities waiting,” she said.
“Let us continue to acknowledge, encourage and uplift our youth.”
