The Reigning Mrs Botswana
The Mrs Botswana beauty pageant is all about women empowerment issues and building healthy families. Featured in this issue, is Mrs Botswana 2020/2021 – Tsaone Bakwena. The gorgeous queen was born in Tonota. She is inspired and motivated by her purpose in life which is to make a difference and impact positively in the society with her God-given talents. Tsaone lives a purpose-driven life and her biggest pusher is ‘why on earth’. That is the main reason why she has always loved pageantry; and with over 10 years experience in the industry, she will be sharing all her experiences with the upcoming young girls and women to also find themselves and realize their dreams. Get to know more about the reigning queen here;
Who is Tsaone Bakwena?
I am a 30 year old woman who strives to change the world through little acts of kindness and living a life of purpose. From a very young age I have always been eager to learn, to strive and be the very best I can be. I dreamt of making an impact into the world and using my God given talents to influence positively. The upbringing that I had from a loving and caring family with a strong support structure, significantly molded me into this solid, strong and determined woman I am today. I grew up in a family of five; my parents and two younger siblings. Both my parents being teachers and growing up as the first born, I was instilled with a sense of discipline, responsibility and accountability from a young age, thus this grew in me over the years. Having had experienced both urban and rural lifestyle during my childhood has taught me the importance of balance in life. That is the reason why today I still strongly value Tswana cultural roots, botho, respect & humility which I embrace.
As a young girl, I grew up with a great passion for all things Arts especially the Beauty industry. Pageantry happened to be the one thing I loved so dearly, and that meant following pageantry news from a young age of six and celebrating all the queens who impact positively in the community and the world at large. I would dream of how great it must be to have a crown on one’s head, and wear it with such pride and total dignity. This still remains a dream I carry and hopeful that it will come true, because it will be a confession that all dreams are valid and can come true for any young girl that dreams and works hard to achieving it.
Pageantry, Modelling, Acting
My pageantry journey started in 2009, when I excitedly joined Miss Botswana 2009. I made it through to Top 12 finalist, which served a great platform for personal growth and girl child empowerment. I gave another try at Miss Botswana in 2013 where I made it to Top 12 finalist again. My other interest is modelling which I passionately did for a couple of years, and I am proud to have had participated in Colour in the desert Fashion Show (2011), Gaborone Fashion Week (2012) and the Barclays Charity Fashion Show(2013). Besides pageantry and modelling, I enjoy performing arts, and I take pride in having had played Boi in the “Mpho and Mphonyana” local drama, produced by Botswood.
Besides pageantry and modelling, I find joy in cooking especially baking, road travelling, reading, keeping fit (zumba), and attending poetry sessions.
About Her Family
By God’s blessing I am happily married to my loving husband Mr. Thobo Bakwena from Mahalapye and we got into the holy matrimony in July 2019. Our family gains strength from God’s love through prayer; and we believe that the top guiding principles to happy and healthy homes are love, respect, unity, communication and understanding.
Being Mrs Botswana is an amazing feeling and I really feel honored to be the Queen. It has always been my dream to be a beauty queen because of the platform it awards women to do great things in the society that have impact and are everlasting. The crown also comes with a lot of responsibility and accountability; because now a lot of people look up to me, there is a certain way that you have to carry yourself. You always have to have the people at heart, to serve and to be real and genuine at all times. It really is a beautiful fulfilling experience and I am enjoying every bit of it.
What advice would you give a parent raising a girl child?
My advice to a parent raising a girl child, especially during these times where there are so many social ills (Gender Based Violence, rape, child molest etc.), is to equip them with information and to empower them with as much knowledge as possible so that they can stand for themselves, speak for themselves and fight for themselves. Knowledge and education will give them independence, confidence, purpose and a sense of being, I believe this is what every girl child needs in this era to survive and stand against any violence or oppression. In addition, as parents we need to give our children, especially our girl children, the opportunity to be themselves, to follow their dreams & ambitions, and most importantly to support them in their different pursuits. May we always assure our girl children that their able, capable, smart, beautiful and strong.
What message do you want to covey to our readers about Gender Based Violence?
It is disheartening to witness these escalating covid-19 cases, and it gets worse day by day. My message is that we can only end GBV if all of us take the responsibility to curb it. According to research, most of these perpetrators are men, while women and children are the victims. As men, may we be reminded of our main role which is to provide and to protect our families and communities, not to hurt or harm in any way. As women, we tend to protect the perpetrators in fear of embarrassment. I encourage us women to speak up and report these incidents as it is the only way we can get help. Let us speak up and break the silence. May we also empower ourselves as women to avoid being over dependent on men to provide for us and our families, being independent gives us the opportunity to stand on our own feet and support ourselves. To parents, may we teach our children from a young age that violence is wrong, let us encourage them to speak up for themselves. May we love the boy and girl child equally; give the boy child the same attention, love and care as we give our girl children. This will ensure that our boy children grow into men that know how to love and be loved, and not abuse.
What is your biggest achievement at the moment?
My biggest achievement has to do with my family, happiness and having had achieved the goals I have set. This means having a happy home and functional family, being content and at peace with self, and realizing my dream of being crowned and using the platform for a good cause.
Who are you currently working with; that you feel will help you reach your destinations?
God is my number one pillar of strength, hope and faith, and it was through my belief in Him and letting His will be done that has helped me to get where I am. Faith has kept me, and made me believe that I can do it and that His timing is perfect. Then my loving Husband, who is my support system. His belief in my dream and support throughout the journey made all this possible. I won because we worked together as a team, planned together and strategized together. And the support from my family has always been solid, in everything I do I know that they got my back and that gives the energy and the strength to win at anything. With family’s support everything is possible.
What is your biggest motivation about life, to any Motswana struggling to cope with the hardships of life, unemployment being one of the challenges?
We have the power to become anything and everything we want in life. We need to believe in ourselves, set short and long term goals, have a plan in place, and most importantly, work hard to achieve and succeed. It is important to have focus in life, know what you want in life, know what your purpose in life is, then keep your eyes fixed on the plan. On another note, consistency is key. Keep going at your pace until you get there. Nothing in life comes easy, succeeding comes with hard work, sacrifice, effort and focus. Keep on and keep going. Everything happens at the right time.
How important do you think it is to have a mentor?
A mentor inspires one to work hard and achieve a certain goal. Therefore it is very important to have that someone in life who guides and directs, and provides advise on different aspects of life; career, relationships, and life in general. If you are a young adult/professional I would advise having a mentor so as to help you achieve your goals and excel.
What is in the pipeline for you at the moment?
As the newly crowned Mrs. Botswana, my focus is on addressing social ills that my country is faced with, with special emphasis on Gender Based Violence and Child Protection. It is disheartening to see the rise in statistics of women and children who are abused. I intend to use this platform to put an end to this by raising awareness and spreading the message about Gender Based Violence & Child Protection. I am currently working on a project where I am doing Primary school visits to raise awareness and educate children that violence in any form is wrong and unacceptable, and there are ways to solve disputes other than violence. I teach them about morality and acceptable ways of behaviour in the society, and that no matter the disagreements or problems, violence is not the answer. It is my wish that they learn while young and grow into a generation that is violent free.
I am also working with the department of Gender Affairs on addressing GBV, and we have been on a national tour to address different classes of people.
On another note, I am working on a program that focuses on empowering the girl child, it is an issue that is close to my heart, as my wish is to see more girls take up space and excel in different platforms. I am currently working on an initiative that will be offering mentorship and empowerment programs for children, public speaking, etiquette, effective communication skills, and talent grooming as well as instilling acceptable moral, cultural and family values.
Is there anything important that you would like to share with us?
We need to be mindful of our health, safety and surroundings at all times. We need to follow all the precautions and advices given by Health professionals. We need to discipline ourselves and comply, abide by the curfew, sanitize, wear masks and social distance. This is all in place so to protect us and our families. It is our responsibility to play our part to prevent it.
Titles/Awards
2009-Miss Botswana Top 12 finalist
2013-Miss Botswana Top 12 finalist
2020-Mrs. Botswana 20202020-Public Choice Award Winner
2020-Photogenic Award Winner
Duncan Sebeso