Gulu City, (UG):- In a weekend filled with vibrant events across Gulu City, Miss Atim Bridget Melissa, a Senior Six vacist from St. Mary’s College Luagzi was crowned the new Miss Face of Gulu City 2024/2025.
The 21-year-old emerged as the winner after outshining eight other finalists in a fiercely contested Grand Finale held at Bomah Hotel on Friday night.
Ms Atim was awarded a cash prize of 1 million Ugandan Shillings. She also received gift hampers containing an assortment of bathing soap, hand wash, jelly, and lotion equally with the rest of the contestants.
“I have mixed feelings. I feel humbled, proud, responsible, and excited to learn a lot of new things. This position means a lot to me as a role model to young girls, a symbol of hope for disadvantaged youth, a servant to the community, and the ambassador of Gulu City and Acholi culture,” said Atim, her voice filled with emotion, shortly after her win.
With aspiring dreams of becoming a lawyer, Atim shared that she plans to use her new role to perfect her leadership and advocacy skills. She intends to engage with young people to encourage and motivate them to embrace agriculture, given the abundant resources in Northern Uganda, such as fertile land, sunshine, and rainfall that favor farming.
“The central location of Gulu City as the hub of Northern Uganda, linking South Sudan, DR Congo, and Kenya, provides a unique opportunity for further development, especially when young people are shown the right leadership and encouraged to focus on productive sectors like agriculture, trade, and industry,” Atim explained.
As part of her platform, Atim, in line with the theme for Miss Face of Gulu City 2024/2025, “Promoting Community-Based Tourism,” plans to collaborate with companies and experts to train youth on the untapped tourism potential in Acholi culture, particularly through local cuisine. She believes this will contribute to economic transformation and sustainable growth, led by youth-driven initiatives.
Other winners of the night included Apiyo Eunice Aber, who was named 1st Runner-Up, and Abalo Tracy Veronica, who secured the position of 2nd Runner-Up.
This year’s event, which marked the third edition of the annual competition, featured a two-week boot camp and was judged by a panel that included George Kidega, Tourism Officer at Gulu City Council; Queen Janet Alobo, reigning Miss Tourism West Nile; and Miss Irene Adakun, Manager of Bomah Hotel Limited.
The event was organized by the Role Model Foundation, an initiative dedicated to providing a platform for individuals to discover their talents and create impactful leadership in the community.
“We started this initiative to give youth the chance to embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, breaking barriers and making a positive impact in the community as role models and change agents,” said Nelson Okeny, the founder of the Foundation. “I encourage the winner to utilize this platform wisely to create a meaningful impact, as sponsors are eager to work with the models.”
The event was graced by several notable figures, including Woman MP for Gulu, Betty Aol Ocan, and her colleague Gilbert Olanya, Kilak South MP in Amuru District.
Both leaders urged the contestants to use their new platforms to promote and revive Acholi culture. “Use this platform to boost local tourism in the Acholi subregion,” they advised. “Our region is rich in tourism sites, yet many of us do not take the time to explore what is around us.”
Miss Gulu City beauty pageant was sponsored by various organizations, including Gulu City Council, Capital FM, Movit, Centenary Bank, Mega 100 FM, and others.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.
