NINETEEN-year-old Ailava Samuels says her journey to winning three major titles, and the crown at this year’s Miss Nasinu Festival is a result of late nights, body aches, tears, determination and family support.
The young queen, who scooped the pageant awards for Best Traditional Attire, Best Talent and Best Research Topic, described the experience as both exhausting and rewarding.
“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “There were a lot of late nights, rehearsals and even arguments between me and my mum. But if you really want it, you have to push yourself to the limit, and you’ll get what you worked hard for.”
The Samoan lass’s advocacy on cyberbullying at the festival was inspired by her own painful experiences.
She said that she became a target online because of her looks.
“Some girls didn’t like that others considered me pretty. They told me to kill myself and said the only reason people noticed me was because of my appearance, not my capabilities.”
She said such incidents reflected a wider issue in Fiji, that cyberbullying had become a norm.
“People use social media to tear each other down instead of lifting each other up. I wanted to challenge those unrealistic beauty standards and remind people that words can really hurt.”
Ms Samuels said when her name was announced as Miss Nasinu, she was momentarily stunned.
As she prepares to compete in the upcoming Miss Fiji Pageant, representing the Nasinu municipality, Ms Samuels plans to continue her cyberbullying advocacy, expanding it to reach youths across the Pacific. She reminded victims of cyberbullying to not let other peoples’ words define them.
“Believe in yourself, believe in your own voice.”
