PORTRAIT OF A HEROINE: AN ANTI-AIDS LEADER

THE AFRICAN QUEEN
If you could be a reporter for one day and interview any one person in Africa, who would it be and why? Ask people this question and they usually answer, Ms. Kwelagobe. The international community recognized the Botswana?s Mpule Kwelagobe for her fight against AIDS in the world. Unfortunately, the AIDS pandemic of 1983-2006 killed more people than Cambodian genocide (1975-1979).

Mpule was born the youngest of three children to Justice and Dibelang Kwelagobe in Gaborone, Botswana?s capital, in 1979. Her name means "one who comes with the rain". From 1993 to 1997, she was a sportswoman in her country. Furthermore, Mpule was fifteen years old and she was crowned Miss Leo Club in 1995.

In 1997 her family moved to Lobatse, Botswana where she attended high school. Her favorite subjects were mathematics and physics. However, the girl won an important contest, and in November that year the new Miss Botswana-World went to Miss World. The 1997 Miss World was held in Seychelles, a little paradise, but Mpule Kwelagobe did not qualify for the semifinals. She once said, "Many things have happened in my life since that day. My horizons were first broadened with my experiences at Miss World in the Seychelles.

MS. KWELAGOBE:AN ANTI-AIDS LEADER
The year 1999 signified a complete metamorphosis in the life of Mapule Kwelagobe. She was crowned Miss Botswana-Universe in the 1st Annual Pageant help in Gaborone, a multiracial city known for its hospitality. In other words, she qualified for the Miss Universe, an annual international beauty contest. Miss Universe pageant was help in Trinidad & Tobago, the birthplace of the first black Miss Universe. Before winning Miss Botswana-Universe, Mpule received a scholarship to study electronic engineering.

In the small Caribbean island-nation of Trinidad & Tobago, she was not a favorite. However, under the leadership of Angelo John, designer, Miss Botswana had the highest semifinal score. Her abnegation and constancy were rewarded at the Miss Universe. For many judges, Miss Botswana was the perfect African dream girl: slim, exotic face and natural-looking. Finally, Miss Botswana was crowned as the last Miss Universe of the 20th century on May 26th, 1999 in Chagaramas, one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. She was crowned Miss Universe 1999 by Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad & Tobago, who was the third black Miss Universe.

Since 1999, Mpule Kwelagobe became an anti-AIDS activist in the Third World countries. She used her title to champion HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Certainly, she loves her country and Africa.

Throughout the 20th century, Botswana, an ex British colony, was one of the few democratic countries in the Third World. The African country did not have a dictator as Hiss?ne Habre (Chad) or Charles Taylor (Liberia).Botswana?s human development system was once considered among the best in the Third World. A world of freedom and peace, without wars, discrimination and poverty.

Today, Botswana has one of the world?s highest rates of AIDS. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one-third of the adult population has HIV/AIDS. The average life expectancy in the African country has fallen from 67 years to 47 as a result of AIDS. The number of people living with HIV and AIDS is getting worse in Botswana. About 80 persons are infected with HIV every day. There are 27 million people infected with HIV in Africa. The epidemics in Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland are continuing to grow.

Mpule Kwelagobe works with organizations to promote HIV /AIDS awareness in the world. She works with the AmFar (Americans for AIDS Research), God Love we Deliver and Harvard AIDS Institute. Since 1999, she has visited many people affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. For many times, she had interviews politicians such as Nelson Mandela. At that time, with support private and public, she founded the "Mpule Kwelagobe Children?s village houses 400 children living with HIV and AIDS. Furthermore, Miss Universe 1999 established an anti-AIDS foundation.

In the 21st century, she was named UN Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In 2001, Mpule was awarded the Jonathan Mann Health Human Rights Award. Former Miss Botswana received the award for her significant contributions to world health. "Jonathan would have been especially happy learn that one of the recipients of the award this year is Mpule Kwelagobe", said Nicholas Dodd, who worked wholeheartedly in the promotion of the AIDS policy at the World Health Organization (WHO).

She admires Sir Seretse Khama, who was a charismatic former president of Botswana from 1966 to 1980. Sir Seretse Khama worked for a unified Botswana and gave the nation added prominence on the Third World stage. Mpule once said, "I would have loved to have interviewed Sir Seretse Khama-Botswana?s just president. He was practical man with vision, who fought again discrimination, to give Botswana democratic rights".

I think that Mpule is a symbol of feminine power in the 21st century. Finally, I would like to finish my article with a message by Ms. Kwelagobe: "We are all infected with this virus because we all live in a country (Botswana) that is infected. And until we win the war against AIDS no one can say I am not infected".

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