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Bio of
Miss Zambia
(Chisenga Mulimine, Miss Zambia International 2005)
Sweat began beading
up on my brow and the ache in my fingers had just begun by the time
we were half way through preparing the meals. I knew my father had
been caring for orphaned children but I had not been able to fully
appreciate what that meant until I was actually here preparing the
food for them to eat. When I had left Zambia to come to the United
States in the winter of 1993 there was a great need to care for
orphans. But somehow, in the eight years that I had been gone, that
need had turned into crisis...It was in that moment that my expectations
of realizing the American dream of a nice family, in a nice house,
driving nice cars was forever altered. I realized my heart was at
home, and therefore my treasure, my dream, was right there in front
of me. I grew up the seventh of fifteen children in Lusaka, Zambia.
One might imagine that in a family so big it would be easy to be
forgotten, yet my father had a special talent of making each of
us feel like an only child. Some of my fondest growing up memories
are of my father creating little songs for us in which he would
give us fun little nick names. On more than one occasion he sang
me out of a tree with tender praises and promises of hot shima(ugali)!
On other occasions we would all go out and look at the stars together,
naming the different constellations. We grew up the children of
a Baptist bishop so our lives were very much tied in to worship
and service. My father's conscience would not allow him to keep
his job as a cabinet minister, living the privileged life while
others suffered, he opened his own school and orphanage. Until I
left to continue my education in the states that was a big part
of my late childhood/early adolescence. My journey to the States
is a story of prayer, providence and perseverance. After arriving
by way of sponsorship, I discovered nothing was as I was told it
would be nor as I imagined it to be. I arrived in a desert called
Palm Springs, CA, not the lush Hollywood I had seen on the American
t.v. shows. The clothes I was promised never materialized,For almost
eight months I got by with one pair of shoes and two african outfits
that I had brought with me from home. I experienced the cold harshness
of racism for the first time in my life and the realization truly
hit me that I was on my own. I had no family to fall back on, no
trust fund to live off of, just the faith that I had brought with
me in the God that I serve. With that faith I was able to reach
my goal of graduating Valedictorian of my class. They had told me
that black people had low IQ's.I was constantly told that I would
never make it in life. They had told me black people could not attain
high levels of excellence and that became my motivation to succeed
in that place and to prove that I could. I still have that Valedictorian
medal hanging from my mantel constantly reminding me to keep striving
for my goals no matter what comes my way. After high school I found
myself without the financial means to begin my collegiate education.
I completed training as a Certified Nurses Assistant and began taking
local jobs to save for school.At times I would work twenty four
hours straight and other times, I slept in the hospital lobbies
and bus stations because of schedule conflicts. I would only eat
one meal a day just so I could save money. Finally after two and
half years of working I found a school where I could afford to work
my way through. That school was Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola
Florida. My time at PCC were the fondest years of my life to date.
I became the first black president of the student body my Freshman
year and held that position all four years of my education. I was
able to finish two degrees, earning a near 4.0 grade point average
while learning so much about myself and growing so much spiritually.
After finishing my nursing degree I dedicated my finances and my
time to missions in Africa. I promised God that I would give back
all He had given me to make a difference in the lives of my people
. I am now working as a Registered nurse at one of the best hospitals
in America, and every day I work here, my dream and hope for my
home gets bigger. "we shall over come someday! Though I would like
to pack up and go home today I realize that God wants me here because
I can better serve my people financially here, and that is why I
have decided to focus on annual mission trips at this time. I am
currently supporting four of my siblings and an orphan through college
and I am the main sponsor of my father's Orphanage in Zambia. I
have also been elected president for Ingoma, which is a group of
young professionals trying to raise awareness for Africa through
christian music and drama. Attatched are the other other projects
I am involved in. My life has been blessed with a myriad of powerful
experiences that though often painful, I know have been instrumental
in building the person I am today and the person I am still becoming.
I have lost two sisters to HIV and another sister was brutally murdered
by her husband a year ago. I also live with the pain on knowing
that several of my family members are living with HIV. I will never
forget the time I held my aunt's frail, cold, HIV body as she took
her last breath in my arms . I also remember holding my little nephew,
changing diaper, after diaper in his late stages of Aids until one
day he gave up the fight. I realized then how helpless and painful
it was to watch someone so pure and innocent suffer so painful and
that is why I am fighting so hard to day to get help for my people.
I am thankful for the trials because they have made me strong. I
am thankful for the times of little means because they have built
my faith. I am thankful for the betrayals because they have taught
me what it is to love. I am thankful for the joys of home and the
warmth of family because they have taught me what it is to be loved.
But most of all I am thankful to a God who not only gave me these
dreams, but also is giving me the tools in order to achieve them.
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