Miss. High School finalists make a difference!

Readers will be able to meet these beautiful, ambitious young Namibians at the Hashtag Festival from 7 to 9 September at the SKW Fields stage area, where Miss. High School 2017 will be crowned. Kollig cornered this year's Miss. High School finalists to be inspired by their big hearts.

Cassandra Cloete: Dr. Lemmer High School

Most of us are healthy and energetic people. If only one person takes the initiative to actually do something about litter in towns, others will also join. We are a community and we must stand together to uplift our town's name. I am committed to start this clean and green project. I will need the assistance of the Rehoboth Municipality, sponsors and the people of my town. This project may not have immediate results, but Rome was not built in a day.

Cynthia Bock: JG vd Wath Secondary School

Our bodies go through unexpected changes, one which is our menstruation cycle. Inspired by “sandpad#not ashamed”, my project revolves around helping young women like myself by distributing sanitary pads in schools.

Sometimes girls are ashamed of accessing sanitary pads, and this leads to bunking classes or heading home without permission. The solution is to make pads available at each and every school. I am honoured to present this project to our sponsors.

Emma Bastiaans: Windhoek High School

My first charity project is with the NG Church Suiderhof - making sleeping bags for the homeless. In winter there are many people out there freezing at night. The sleeping bags are made out of heavy duty black bags and old newspapers. These are thick in layers and can insulate heat.

My second charity project is with the Cancer Associationof Namibia (CAN). I went to spread a little love at the Chica Interim Home and made a little vegetable garden containing a large variety of different types of vegetables. I am also sponsoring a new clock for the Chica home. I will also attend CAN’s walks and other fund raising days.

Hendrin Shikongo: Hage Geingob High School

Uniting different communities is vital. It enables people to develop their social well-being and cultural norms. As a children's representative, I believe in what children have to give. I am the chairperson of the children's federation at KAYEC Youth Development Program (KYDP) and I represent children in different ways. This includes making them aware of the importance of their rights through speeches, facilitating self-esteem and confidence-building workshops, attending national conferences and meetings for discussions about children and sending petitions to the Ombudsman.

Mar-Leece Bock: Windhoek Gymnasium

Since my school is already involved with the Cancer Association, I will continue working on the project. We have collected a large amount of money, which will all be used at the Chica house for children with cancer. The purpose of the project is to plant and maintain a vegetable garden. Our school will also be involved in the painting of the Cancer children's ward at the State Hospital.

Nicki Ockhuizen: Delta Secondary School

Each child should have a healthy family life and therefore I have chosen Family of Hope services in Katutura as my charity. We teach the kids new skills and abilities they can benefit from in the future, for example needlework. We also organise fun days when we take the children to the Zoo Park, for example.

Joerina Smit: WAP

I want to not only uplift the community, but help the children among us. I have already been helping Môreson School for several years now. I assist them with the sponsoring of toiletries, as well as with creating living rooms with televisions and comfortable seats in their hostels. I am busy with the start of a new project and are in consultation with miss. Kreft to meet their needs at this stage. I'm also planning fundraisers in order to provide more sanitary products and stationery.

Gracia Kibangu: Concordia College

I want to reach out to fellow teenage girls. I will initiate a conference for teenage girls that will be held every second year. The theme of the conference will be “Girls for Change”. The purpose of the conference is to create awareness and combat teenage pregnancies. My desire is to involve our First Lady, Mrs. Monica Geingos, pastors and motivational speakers in this initiative. I would also like to recommend a motivational talk for school girls once a month, by each Miss. High School finalist.

Gabesleen Dausas: Usakos Secondary

The best charity initiative that I can get involved in, is to create an institution that offers financial assistance for tertiary education to individuals from less privileged communities, such as orphans and poverty-stricken people. Educating one child leads to educating a community, and educating a community leads to educating a nation. By creating this institution I would be assisting the Government in its efforts to eradicate poverty.