Harare — About 12 contestants are lined up for the Miss Mashonaland Central beauty pageant to be held at Coach House Inn, Bindura, on Saturday.Township jazz musician Tanga Wekwa Sando is expected to entertain patrons at the contest where a provincial representative for the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe would be selected.

Bindura-Shamva Senator Betty Chikava is patron of the Miss Tourism Bindura Trust, which is organising the contest. Patience Phiri is the reigning Miss Mashonaland Central. Trust chairman Alex Chamboko said all was in place for the show, adding that contestants were mainly drawn from around the province.Chamboko said the trust had resolved to channel part of the proceeds to Bindura Provincial Hospital to make a difference in the lives of some patients. "We have planned to buy drips for the hospital, which would be donated to patients as we have realised some people cannot afford them," he said.

Chamboko said the main objective of the contest was to empower the girl child and help her take modelling as a profession. The trust, he said, would also take the opportunity to raise awareness against contracting HIV and Aids as some people usually take advantage of such contests to prey on innocent girls by luring them into reckless sexual behaviour.

"We also want to identify and develop new talent and boost the contestants' self-esteem so that they realise they are not sexual objects but people with careers to pursue," he said.