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UGPulse Promo
School/Institution: Georgia State University
Major/minor: Biology with a concentration in Pre-Med
Giving back: Volunteer and charitable Organizations
- Annual Hands on Atlanta day volunteer: Tutoring kids in various metro Atlanta elementary schools.
- Annual Aids walk Atlanta: Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in Africa and raising funds for those affected by this virus in the metro Atlanta Area.
- Briarcliff Baptist church Volunteer ministry: Delivering blankets and clothes to young unprivileged moms.
- Passport youth Camp Volunteer ministry: Volunteer ministry in Wingate NC.
- Carver High School Volunteer: Mentoring high school seniors on the importance of attaining a higher education.
- Hosea feed the Hungry: Feeding the hungry on thanksgiving day.
- Samaritans closet: Volunteering at a homeless shelter closet.
- Relay for life: Celebrating survivors, remembering lives lost and fighting against CANCER.
- 30 hour famine: Raising funds for hunger in Africa by starving for 30 hours.
- Watering Malawi: Raising funds for clean drinking water in Malawi.
- City of Refuge Volunteer: Preparing and distributing lunch to the homeless in downtown Atlanta during the summer.
- KingsBridge Retirement center: Singing Christmas carols to the elderly.
Five-Year Aspirational Plan:
Five years from today, I see myself as a third year Medical School Student. In addition to this I hope to have built a strong massive network of young professional African women who are highly motivated for success, with big dreams and aspirations, all working together in unity and empowering each other to fight against all social injustices set forth by today's society.
Country you are representing: Cameroon.
Platform: To campaign against harmful traditional practices such as Breast ironing, postpartum massage and Female genital mutilation and also to empower and motivate the young women who have been victimized of such practices or any other form of social injustice..
UGPulse: The current Miss Africa USA, 2008 Miss South Africa Nyasha Zimucha, has elevated the pageant to a whole new level. The game has changed in a big way. What would you bring to the pageant at the get-go, if you were to win Miss Africa USA 2010?
First and foremost, I would like to commend the reigning Miss Africa United States, Miss South Africa Nyasha Zimucha on a phenomenal job well done in executing her platform while shedding light on our continent and its people.
If I were to be crowned Miss Africa United states 2010, it would definitely be an honor and a great pleasure of mine to continue an outstanding legacy led by young African women. As we all know, the crown and title does not only come with fame and glory but it also comes with obstacles and challenges.
My initial goal will be to reach out to the African community or anyone who believes that beauty/scholarship pageants are "DEGRADING" to women. As young as I can remember, pageantry have always been a passion of mine just as singing, dancing, acting or playing sports is to others. My message to the African community would be to encourage their daughters, sisters, cousins, nieces and friends to participate in beauty/scholarship pageants. Getting involved in pageants not only gives an opportunity for one to excel academically, it also produces some of the most intelligent, classiest, beautiful and devoted humanitarians I've grown to know some who are dedicated to devoting their time in making the world a better place by fighting firmly for what they believe in. And with that said, I absolutely believe and would like to testify that my previous pageant experience definitely shaped and molded me into the confident young African woman I am today. 
Contestant Mirabel Toh from Cameroon.
UGPulse: Tell us about the country you represent. Are all the women as beautiful as you?
Born to Dr & Mrs. Akuchu, I hail from the beautiful country of Cameroon also known as "Africa in miniature" but better known as the land of the "Indomitable Lions." Cameroon is rich with culture and has great ethnic and geographic diversity. If you want wild animals, sunny beaches, mountains, extraordinary landscapes, forest walks, wonderful entertainment and welcoming people, you'll find it all in Cameroon. Located in the heart of central Africa, (approximately the size of California) Cameroon is one of the wealthiest African countries with one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. It is also home to some the most naturally beautiful women Africa has to offer.
THERE IS NO AGREEABLE UNIVERSAL DEFINITION OF BEAUTY. The perception of what constitutes beauty varies from culture to culture and within individuals. Sometimes it makes it difficult to believe when examining the predominant images of beauty which saturates the Western media, but it is clear that what is regarded as beautiful changes across time and space which is why I believe that the women of Cameroon all contribute to the natural beauty of the Motherland and of the world.
UGPulse: Identity theft…what is it? Are you concerned? How do you protect yourself?
If I was to describe the term identity theft using one word, it would be CRIME. Yes identity theft or fraud is a crime. It refers to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. Your personal data especially your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card number, your telephone calling card number, and other valuable identifying data can be used, if they fall into the wrong hands, to personally profit at your expense. In many cases the victims not only suffer from out-of-pocket financial losses, but also substantial additional financial costs associated with trying to restore his or her reputation in the in the society.
To be honest, I never knew about identity theft until I moved to the United States. And even there after, it really wasn't a big issue to me until the day my wallet was stolen with every single one of my personal Identification in it (green card, social security, ID, Bank card, driver's license etc). That is when everything hit home because I couldn't do much of anything without my driver's license. It was very frustrating and I had to go through the process of reapplying for a replacement green card which took almost a year. During that time period, keeping track of my credit score was very important to make sure everything was okay. Now, I make sure to maintain careful records of my banking and financial accounts and I also ask periodically for a copy of my credit report. After that incident, my driver's license and Bank card (only if I need to use it) are the only personal information I carry around with me. Everything else is kept in a safe box at home. If you were evicted from the United States and had to live in an African city, apart from any city in the country you are representing, which African city would you decide to move to and why?
If I was evicted from the United States and had to live in an African city apart from any city in Cameroon, it would have to be Blantyre, Malawi's largest city and it's center of finance and commerce. Notice I didn't say Accra Ghana, Lagos Nigeria, Johannesburg South Africa or Nairobi Kenya even though I do love the city life. The reason I picked Malawi is because four years ago, my youth group and I (Briarcliff Baptist church) had an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people in Malawi through an ongoing ministry called Watering Malawi. Their goal is to advocate for long term solutions to extreme poverty and hunger through access to clean water, irrigation and sanitation systems in Malawi. I was amazed by how much we raised in just a week. The images of the people who have benefited through this program touched me deeply and it would be of great pleasure to visit Malawi and to know that the little things we do go such a long way. For more information, visit (http://www.wateringmalawi.org). 
Contestant Mirabel Toh from Cameroon.
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