Expectant couples strut at Re- Imile beauty pageant
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday November 13, 2017 15:21
The pageant was organised by the Greater Francistown District Health Management Team (GFDHMT). Juwit Tshetlhana and Kesalopa Folae won the crown.
It took a two hours wait for arrivals and speeches but when the moment of truth came, when pregnant women and their spouses paraded on the stage emotions were overwhelming, well for yours truly.
On sight of the couples, a fully packed Civic Centre hall that was getting agitated of the wait broke into loud screams as families and friends who came to support the couples ensured the names of the favourites are heard.
In the first parade, the women traded their tent like maternity dresses for black leggings and blue hugging T-shirts that exposed their bumps that were all above the sixth month.
Men wore smart casual, jeans and golf shirts. Smiles were sprite as they later took to stage one couple at a time.
It took another hour for a change of outfits, but the attendees were not bothered. In the second parade, the glowing expectant mothers came out with beautiful evening gowns and their spouses were tight on skinny suits.
The women wore flat shoes the entire evening. The second parade was more entertaining with the heavily pregnant women matching their partners with dancing skills that left the audience amazed.
The pageant was also informative as health messages associated with pregnancy were shared through short clips that featured all the 10 couples. Amongst others the crowd learnt of partner testing, exclusive breastfeeding, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), couple testing, exclusive formula feeding and postnatal care. The couples were judged on their short video clip messages, appearance, interaction with the crowd, dress code, confidence and interaction with partners.
The winner, Tshetlhana said together with his partner they have learnt a lot not only from the pageant and the road towards the pageant. “We were taken through a series of workshops during the preparations of this event. We have learnt a lot on how we should carry our pregnancy and our child after birth and ourselves. It was a great journey and this is just an icing on the cake.
“We are a great couple now than before and we have achieved a special bond with our child. This milestone will go a long way,” Tshetlhana said hand in hand with his queen. Tshetlhana and Folae won prizes worth P2,200. First prince and princess went to Bonolo Kakabale and Kabo Nthubu who walked away with prizes worth P1,800.
The second prince and princess, Thabo Otsweleng and Sophie Molosiwa won prices worth P1,600. The three couples also won a night out at Adansonia Hotel. The rest of the couples went home with consolation prizes worth P590.