Feature: Tanzanian children aspire to break ceiling in fashion show, design industry

DAR ES SALAAM, June 13– Eight-year-old Monica Mwamunyange thrilled spectators when she cat-walked on stage wearing a design dress on Sunday night at the Kilimanjaro Hyatt Regency Hotel in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. And with my steel determination, nothing will prevent me from breaking the ceiling in the fashion show and design industry, “Monica, a…

DAR ES SALAAM, June 13 (Xinhua) — Eight-year-old Monica Mwamunyange thrilled spectators when she cat-walked on stage wearing a design dress on Sunday night at the Kilimanjaro Hyatt Regency Hotel in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

The spectators, including children with disabilities, diplomats, local celebrities and representatives from the government, corporate and international organizations, could not believe their eyes when the young girl walked in style and saluted them by bowing.

“My ambition is to become a top fashion show model and designer when I grow up. And with my steel determination, nothing will prevent me from breaking the ceiling in the fashion show and design industry,” Monica, a grade two pupil, told Xinhua after the fashion show that lasted for nearly two hours.

Gertrude Joseph Mwamunyange, Monica’s mother, said her daughter started cultivating an interest in the fashion show industry when she saw it on television when she was five years old.

“She started putting on my shoes and covering her head with my kitenge (a local design wear for women) and cat walking,” said the mother, adding that she decided to enroll her daughter in the fashion show training organized by Ujuzi Initiative Company Limited with its project ujuzi fashion hub, a platform of unique creative spaces designed to support and stimulate diverse fashion and fine art. Ujuzi is Kiswahili for skills.

Monica was among 35 children models, including both males and females aged between four and 14 who participated in the fashion show organized by Khadija Mwanamboka, the founder of Watoto Wetu platform. Watoto Wetu is translated into English as “Our Children”.

Mwanamboka told Xinhua that the children’s fashion show was organized as part of commemoration of the Day of the African Child.

The Day of the African Child has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991 to honor those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in South Africa in 1976 on that day.

The day also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the education provided to African children.

“The children’s fashion show is also an opportunity to raise awareness for the ongoing need to improve education of children living across Africa,” said Mwanamboka, a celebrated fashion designer with over 25 years of experience.

She said the Watoto Wetu platform was established in 2021 to mark her 25 years anniversary in the fashion industry and the platform is now an annual event during the African Child Day commemoration.

“My fashion design collection concept this time has incorporated children’s games we played when we were young. I have translated the playful games into wearable fashion so the children of today may see the fun in playing such games for their mental and physical health,” said the 45-year-old fashion designer.

“The fashion show gives the children confidence. They become more aware of what they want, what they want to do and achieve,” she said.

“The fashion show enables the children to interact with different children from different schools and different backgrounds. And we get to learn from them and they learn from us,” she said.

Mwanamboka said they select children who show special interest in the fashion design industry, adding her future plans are to create a center for training underprivileged children in fashion design and children who live in orphanages to make them future top fashion designers. Enditem