Meet the Miss Teen Namibia finalists!

Jeanette Diergaardt Leané de Klerk (19)Studies at Damlin College to make handbagsOvercoming adversity through empowering.As one of the Miss Teen Namibia finalists with a hearing impairment, Leané de Klerk does not stop at the face of trials and tribulations. Accepted into the Michelle McClean programme to help children with autism, Leané has a heart filled with dreams to empower young people. A valuable message her mother taught her is that there is no ‘I can not’ or ‘I give up’. “She teaches me to not give up.” The message Leané has for the youth is that people who make fun of you or hurt you are the same people who help you grow.Kaylee Jacobs (18) Keetmanshoop Private SchoolTo Kaylee, the road to Miss Teen Namibia is to become the diamond on the Miss Teen Namibia logo. They say a dog is man’s best friend, but for Kalyee, both cats and dogs are this girl’s best friend. With 27 rescues in her yard at Keetmanshoop, she has enough cuddle buddies. One of the causes she supports and drives in Keetmanshoop is Have a Heart Namibia, which raises awareness towards the sterilisation of dogs as the number of stray animals are on the increase. Kaylee’s message to the youth is quoted from the lyrics of Tim McGraw’s ‘Humble and Kind’: “Hold the door, say please and thank you. Don’t steal, don’t cheat and don’t lie. I know you have got mountains to climb, but always stay humble and kind”.Mia Coetzee (16) Mariental Gymnasium Private SchoolTo Mia, confidence and being herself has always been something she struggled with and with the Miss Teen Namibia platform, she hopes to inspire and empower young girls to not be timid and afraid to be themselves.Growing up with her mother being a single mom, Mia hopes to one day provide support and hope to single mothers out there as she knows how difficult it can become to raise a child on your own accord. Her dream is to provide support on how they can cope and find ways for them to make easy money. For obvious reasons, Mia looks up to her mother. A takeaway from Mia’s mother is to bloom with grace.Her message to the youth is an encouragement to communicate more frequently with one another. She said one should always do something to brighten up someone else’s day.Fun fact about Mia: She had six fingers on each hand as a baby.Quintina Tjizumaue (17)Jan Mohr Secondary SchoolWith mental health awareness on the increase, Quintina also stands for the cause of educating the youth on keeping their mental state healthy. With the Miss Teen Namibia platform, she would like to raise more awareness about the importance of mental health. With the age of the pandemic, Quintina was made aware of the stress and workload teens face. She and her peers struggled with stress and she feels there is a need for people to know how to deal with the stress. Her message to the youth is something her mother always told her: Be brave and work hard towards anything in life.Jerusha Sheyer (17)Rocky Crest High SchoolSpokeswoman of diversity, Jerusha would like to empower those around her to be strong and courageous. The cause Jerusha is passionate about is an anti-bullying campaign she is working on with Lifeline/Childline. She goes out to schools to hand out Lifeline/Childline numbers to the public and at the schools she is involved with. With fierce women on her team, Jerusha looks up to her cousin Linolian Sheyer. Her message to the youth is: “The more you stumble, the stronger you become”.Selma Nitembu (17)Windhoek High SchoolChanging the hearts and minds of her fellow Namibians is what drives Selma. She feels strongly about issues of tribalism and racism. With that in mind, one of her dreams is to encourage the acceptance of Namibian cultural heritage. Selma is very passionate about increasing the self-sustainability of people. At only 17 years old, Selma started her own kindergarten in the Omusati Region. She received approval from the ministry and her project is at a point where building has started.Her message to the youth is to look beyond geographical borders and to realiae that the government cannot be expected to provide for everything. “We are capable, strong and smart.”Alexis Swart (19) Having previous experience in the pageant industry, Alexis is back again and hopes to take the crown this time around. The 19-year-old feels she is a lot more experienced and ready than the previous time she entered Miss Teen Namibia. She would one day like to train young girls to have more confidence in themselves by giving workshops for public speaking and self-image. A charity project she is working on is called the Inner Girl Foundation. In partnership with Pick n Pay and Spar, she hands out sanitary products to girls who do not have access to these basic necessities. Her message to the youth is that all things are temporary and all trials and tribulations shall pass.Hilde Shidondola (17)JG Van Der Walt Secondary SchoolAt only 17 years old, Hilde is doing what many wish and dream to do - to give back to the community that brought you up. With an established soup kitchen and a resource centre underway, she still wants to accomplish a lot. Growing up in the Five Rand community in Okahandja, Hilde saw the problems and decided to be a part of the solution. Like many of the girls, Michelle McClean Bailey is an inspiration to her charity projects. Furthermore, Hilde wishes to advocate for youth empowerment and at the same time she wants to send a message out to the youth to be content with what they have.Sasckia Botha (16) HomeschooledA voice for the voiceless, the young Sasckia would like to help and make the voices of younger girls heard. Changing the world and people is a big task - that she realises - but still she wants other young people to see their worth. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sasckia regularly visited elderly people as she said that it’s time for us to take care of them. The person she looks up to is her uncle, Goerge Oosthuizen, as he always took on whatever he set his mind to and went after his goals even though others were against it.The message Sasckia has for the youth is to follow your dreams and see yourself worthy enough. “Change your mindset and surround yourself with people with positive energy.”Constance Chinyama (19)JG Van der Walt matriculantConstance would like to have more people accept plus sized models as they are and to see their worth in pageants. At the same time, she would like to advocate for the boy child. According to Constance, equal attention should be given both boys and girls.Although not currently tied with a charity organisation, Constance would like to help care for orphans and encourage them to attend school.Her message to the youth is to be yourself and to love and value yourself. One thing that not a lot of people know about Constance is that she is a rugby player.

Meet the Miss Teen Namibia finalists!

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Republikein 2025-06-18

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Meet the Miss Teen Namibia finalists!

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