Victoria Falls model, Future Nyoni, who is set to represent Zimbabwe in Sierra Leone at the Mr Africa International pageant running from December 12-24, has called for the recognition of the boy child.
Mr Africa International was founded by Ayotunde Fabamwo in 2012 to empower and groom male models.
Zimbabwe's hopes of winning the contest would be on Nyoni, who started modelling in 2017 under the mentorship of former Miss Zimbabwe, Samantha Tshuma.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, Nyoni highlighted the need to advocate for the boy child whom he reckons has been long neglected.
"If we could take a closer look into what is happening around the world due to increased advocacy for the girl child, gender-based violence and women's rights it is apparently evident the boy child has been neglected.
"This has resulted in increased use of drugs and substance abuse as well as suicide among the young generation. It is a ticking time bomb.
"The earlier we address this, the better for us all. Recognising the boy child is something we need to push for," he said.
The model, who will be strutting on African runways for the last time, said it was time to hand over the torch and let the light shine on others.
"It is my last competition, it is time to give others an opportunity to explore what they have to offer while I venture into other forms of modelling," he said.
Despite his brief stint in modelling, Nyoni recalled it was never easy as each runway project had its own fair share of challenges.
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"It was quite challenging and many times it was difficult to get gigs in big cities. I often got turned down as they required local models only.
"As I was driven by passion, I did not throw in the towel. I soldiered on and kept pushing. Even in the midst of challenges, I learnt not to focus on the negatives."
However, Nyoni acknowledged strides taken by society in accepting male models. He noted that there was still ground that needs to be covered in terms of embracing male models.
"Society is slowly embracing this concept but there are grey areas to be addressed in terms of ensuring equal opportunities between our women and men.
"Female pageants are given bigger platforms either by media or sponsors while males are neglected which has seen a drop in international representation by men," he said.
Nyoni has walked the Malawian runway participating in Beautiful You African Fashion Show and on the Global African Fashion Coalition (South Africa).
He has also showcased designs by Afro Phoenix (Zimbabwe), Zado Fashions (Tanzania), Lele's creations and Black Shoulder (South Africa) plus Tribal Trends by Shiko Onyango (Kenya)
Nyoni whose romance with African runways is ending in December, dreams of taking Gucci and Calvin Klein among other runways.
"My dream has not ended yet. I strongly believe dreams always come into existence and very soon I might be on Gucci, Versace and Calvin Klein floors strutting," he said.
