Miss Papua New Guinea

Miss Papua New Guinea, Lucy Maino, spoke these words at the celebration of the International Girl’s Day at Tubusereia Primary School near Port Moresby on October 11.

“I would like to encourage all the girls in attendance today and girls everywhere in PNG to dream of your chosen path, but remember you have to put in the work and most times, it can be hard work; but you can do it by surrounding yourselves with the right people who see your potential.

At 18 years of age, she was the youngest out of six contestants, and is only the second Papua New Guinean to be Miss Pacific Islands since MPIP PNG joined the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant franchise in 2011. 

From a mixed parentage of Central and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Kariha has again created history by winning the Miss Pacific Island beauty contest.

Kariha also received Miss Tourism, Miss Personality, Best Topic Presentation/Interview and Best Talent awards, winning cash prizes as well as the crown.

The gorgeous but elegant Leoshina Kariha won two minor awards:

• Miss Personality
• Miss Tourism

As well as two major awards:

• Best Talent
• Best Research Topic

According to the Miss PNG Pacific Islands page, Kariha is currently attending a gift sharing breakfast with all her pacific island sisters.

The committee said: “We'd like to send a massive tanikiu badaherea to all our wantoks and supporters for all your love and light that kept us going through these very challenging last few weeks.

Last night the Pageant with the theme 'Climate Change Action to Sustain Our Islands', highlighting the COP23 outcomes, showcased talents from around the region featuring nine contestants from nine countries.

23-year-old Niawali Anastasia Twain performed a dramatic monologue, an original piece written by Miss Twain herself.

The four-minute performance was inspired by the plight of the Carteret Islanders, the world's first climate change and environmental refugees who are being relocated from their sinking atolls to Tinputz on the main island of Bougainville.  

Her funeral will be held at 2pm at the Rev. Sioni Kami Memorial Church in Port Moresby.

Family, friends, colleagues and the public who were touched by Ruby's life and story are expected to attend.

The late Ruby passed away at the Port Moresby General Hospital on Saturday, February 11.

She was 24 at the time and would have celebrated her 25th birthday on February 13. The late Ruby was the Miss South Pacific PNG 2012-2013.

While a few of them have made names both locally and internationally, a few are fresh faces into the industry.

This response has overwhelmed the organising committee, who aims to identify from the runway, a fashion stylist for the Miss PNG entrant to the Miss Pacific Island Pageant.

Deputy Chairperson of the Miss Pacific Island Pageant (MPIP) PNG Molly O’Rourke said:

“This goes to show there is so much talent and potential in our arts and we, the Project Runway, are only gleaning the tip of the iceberg.”

Designers introduced are: