AMIRA, through the Amira Elia Alliance, has donated N$10,000 to the Miss Namibia 2025 organisation, aimed at supporting titleholders and advancing women's empowerment initiatives.
The donation was handed over at the NBC Headquarters on Cullinan Street, with AMIRA's founder and Managing Director Maria Shiyuka, who said the gesture is rooted in her personal experience in beauty pageantry.
"Beauty pageantry helped shape who I am today. I've worn 21 beauty queen titles, and I know how it feels to be crowned, yet there is often no support."
She noted that while beauty queens are placed on a public pedestal and expected to deliver as national representatives, their financial and social realities often remain unchanged, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"One day you wake up in your home; the next day you are crowned. A lot has changed, but a lot hasn't – your spending ability, your resources, your connections," she says.
Shiyuka described the role of Miss Namibia as a demanding national responsibility and said titleholders should be supported like any other ambassador of the country.
"These women need support, not only financially, but in any means necessary. It is a mammoth task placed on their shoulders," she adds.
Beyond Miss Namibia, Shiyuka highlighted AMIRA's involvement in youth and women empowerment initiatives, including coaching, motivational speaking and community outreach.
"We've worked with the First Lady's initiatives, BeFree, the Ministry of Education, mainly schools, and Project Never Walk Alone. We believe in upliftment and paying it forward because it was done for us."
She added that while AMIRA is a growing company with its own challenges, the organisation hopes to continue its partnership with Miss Namibia.
"We are hopeful that this partnership can blossom, even though we cannot predict the future."
The Miss Namibia Organisation welcomed the donation, describing it as a meaningful partnership that strengthens the pageant's empowerment mandate.
Beaulah Boois-Beakes serves as nbc's Head of Public Relations and Marketing.
"This is what strategic partnerships look like. They help us empower the next girl and strengthen the Miss Namibia platform."
Current Miss Namibia Johanna Swartbooi encouraged aspiring contestants to take the platform seriously and focus on personal growth and purpose.
"Get to know yourself first. This platform requires discipline, purpose and a clear vision."
Applications for the next Miss Namibia competition are currently open, as corporate support continues to play a role in empowering women leaders in Namibia.