Miss PIP PNG Crowned

November 7, 2018

Eighteen-year-old Leoshina Kariha, sponsored by Madang Resort, is the new Miss Pacific Islands Papua New Guinea. She was crowned on Saturday night at an extravagant ball held at the Star Hilton Hotel.

Leoshina’s mother is from Central province and father is from AROB (Bougainville). She is a first year student doing a Bachelor of PNG Studies and International Relations degree at Divine Word University in Madang.

Leoshina won two major awards – Best Traditionally Inspired Dress award and Best Sarong award. She was also voted by the four contestants for the Miss Friendship award.

This is the first time in the eight year history of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant PNG (MPIP PNG) that entrants from outside of Port Moresby had contested in the pageant. The other contestant from outside Port Moresby was Vinlynne Polopa, who was sponsored by the Porgera Women in Business (PWIB) in Enga.

Leoshina will travel to Tonga later this month to contest the regional Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.

Meanwhile, the proceeds from the MPIP PNG will go towards a scholarship fund for young women to complete their tertiary education in PNG.

So far 250 women have been sponsored by the MPIP PNG since its inception, with a total of more than K850,000. Priority areas for scholarships are education, health and agriculture.

Applications for 2019 will be open in January.

Check the Miss PNG Pacific Islands Pageant FB page for more information.

https://postcourier.com.pg/miss-pip-png-2018-crowned/