Rashida Kamara: Miss Sierra Leone New York 2012-2013

I had the honor and pleasure of being a judge at the Miss Sierra Leone NY pageant in Staten Island, New York on August 25. Hosted by Union of Sierra Leonean Organizations (USLO), this was the second year for the annual affair. Six hopefuls, which included Yema Otto-During, Tashima Dale, Bintu- Small Fofanah, Yani Labor Koroma, and Fatima Kargobo competed for the crown but one Sierra Leonean queen stood out, Rashida Kamara. Just weeks after taking the crown Kamara already has plans in action to change the Sierra Leone community in New York, one youth at a time.

 

Y’MBOI Magazine: How did you prepare for Miss Sierra Leone New York (MSLNY) Rashida Kamara: I practiced with a friend of mine who was runner up for Ms. Guinea New York. We worked on everything from getting my clothes made to memorizing my speech. I also attended the bootcamp which helped a lot.

YM: Who do you think was your biggest competitor?
RK: Myself! I wasn’t sure if I was prepared and I had negativity within myself. So I had to distance myself from the negative to focus more on getting my crown. I never did a pageant before but I knew it was an opportunity to make some changes. I had to not focus so on that negativity.

YM: What did you learn from the pageant experience?
RK: I learned to always be real and do what pleases your heart. I also learned that a lot of us don’t know much about our country including myself, I just started learning things about my country. It’s kind of sad if you think about it.

YM: What was your biggest challenge?
RK:My biggest challenge was adjusting to this pageant life. Before I started preparing for the pageant I wasn’t doing much with my summer. Once we started I was so busy with meetings, bootcamp, and practicing.

YM: Tell us about your platform.
RK: My platform is to increase unity and patriotism within the Sierra Leonean community of New York. I’m more focused on the youth right now, I want them to realize that we have so much to be proud of. They will learn more about our roots and be more exposed to our culture. I want some who are not able to speak their language well to learn how to do so and have programs where they can be together, interacting in a peaceful, learning, fun environment.

YM: What do you plan to accomplish during your reign as Miss Sierra Leone New York?
RK: I started an organization with my cousin (Adiatu Bangura Miss Sierra Leone NY 2011-2012) called Serra De Leao. Serra De Leone focuses on promoting Unity, Patriotism, and Good Health Winthin the Sierra Leonnean community. Currently we have a Facebook group which where we are spreading the word and trying to gain likes for support. Our first project will be a “Youth Night” which will be for young talents. We have so many other ideas including a Tribute Show for January 6, 1999- The day the rebels attached our country