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AHEU DENG KUDUM - Miss Earth South Sudan 2009
By David Natanawan for Critical Beauty
Please tell us something about yourself, your full name, age, height, vital stats, where you came from, educational
information, your interests and hobbies and other important facts about yourself.
My name is Aheu Deng Kudum, turning 19 in January. I weigh 127 lbs. and I am nearly 6'3". I am the first born in a family of 4 sisters
and a single mother. I am a South Sudanese by nationality, and grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp where I attended school
up to high school level. I am interested in fashion and would like to be an international model. My hobbies include
traveling, meeting people and socializing.
Who influenced you to join your country’s national pageant prior to winning the title to represent your country at Miss Earth?
I have always wanted to be in the fashion industry and I thought this would be a great opportunity for me and I felt
that joining the Miss South Sudan pageant would be a good platform for me to be able to inform and educate south
Sudanese about the environment since we have just come from a civil war.
How were you chosen to represent you country and what preparations have you done for the Miss Earth 2009
competition?
I won the Miss Earth South Sudan competition making me my country’s representative in Miss Earth 2009.
I have been carrying out my duties as the Miss Earth South Sudan, learning more about the environment and shopping for
the necessary requirements that I need to carry with me to Manila.
Being the tallest beauty queen in the history of international pageants, do you think it will be an advantage for
you to make it as one of the semi-finalists? How does it feel that you are being pushed to be included in the Guinness
Book of World Records for being the tallest beauty queen in history?
I am very excited because I never thought I was the tallest beauty queen to be in an international pageant so this
comes as a surprise when my national director noticed it. It would be an advantage for me to make it to the semi-finals
on my merits and also give other tall girls out there a chance to be proud of themselves as I am.
I really appreciate this opportunity and the efforts of everyone involved in pushing for me to be recognised
and included in the Guinness Book of World Records because if it is a record the it should be recognised.
I am especially appreciative to my national director and managers - the Beauties of Africa, Inc. for recognising
this opportunity, because I always knew that my height was a blessing but I never dreamt of that record.
It would be very exciting to be a world record holder that would give me a platform to to other things as well.
If you are an animal, what would you be and why would you like to be that animal?
I would like to be a giraffe because it's tall and graceful just like me!
What is your idea of fun? How do you enjoy yourself to have fun?
Spending time with close friends and family. Taking boat rides along the Nile and fishing.
How would you describe the following colors to a blind person?
Red is the color of blood.
White is the color of peace.
Blue is the color of the ocean and the sky.
Yellow is the color of the sun.
Green is the color of plants and trees.
What environmental platform do you want to pursue during the Miss Earth 2009 pageant and how would you help to
pursue this platform?
I am deeply concerned about the pollution of bodies of water and would advocate for the cleaning of them
by arranging clean-up campaigns and involving people from different areas to help.
Are you a member of any environmental organization or animal rights protection in your country?
No. Having just come out of a very long civil war, we do not have any environmental organization in South Sudan.
I would want to start one with the assistance of the Ministry of Environment. And participate in the area of sanitation
and cleaning up the Nile river.
Do you have any idea about the host country, Philippines? What are your impressions about the country? And what do you know about
the Finals Night venue, the island of Boracay?
I do not know about the Philippines, but I think that being the host of Miss Earth for all these years shows
the county’s dedication in promoting environmental awareness which I think is a step that counties all over the
world should take to make the earth a better place for all of us.
Have you heard about the recent disaster brought by typhoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) in the Philippines?
How do you feel about the tragedy that befell some part of the Philippines due to these typhoons?
I was deeply saddened by these events and would like to visit the families of the affected and help them in any way that I can.
With the recent disaster that happened in the Philippines and other parts of the world, do you think Miss Earth pageant is still
relevant in promoting environmental
awareness all over the world?
I think that Miss Earth pageant is more relevant now than before. Since there is a greater need for people to be educated
about the environment and the world needs more disciples in this campaign.
What do you think is the biggest environmental problem that our planet Earth is experiencing today? And how would you do
your share to prevent this problem?
Global warming is a major problem today, I would want to be involved by teaching people about such things as the
effects of deforestation, population growth and the use of fossil fuel.
If you win the Miss Earth title, how would you use your title to promote environmental awareness all over the world?
I would want to be involved in school tours and hold educational talks.
Which of the two would you choose and why? Beautiful or Smart.
Smart. Because beauty fades away.
City or countryside?
Country side. I like being in harmony with nature and away from the pollution in the city.
Money or fame?
Fame. I can use my fame to influence others in the society.
Blind or mute?
Mute. I can write what I feel but I would not want to miss on what people have to say.
Hot or Cold?
Hot. I am sensitive to cold weather.
Past or Future?
Future. I have learned from the past and looking forward to see what the future holds.
Boyfriend or Beauty Pageant Crown?
Beauty pageant crown. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Lastly, what is your message to all the people reading this interview?
I'd like to thank everyone for their support!
PHOTO CREDIT: Beauties of Africa, Inc.
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