Flaviana Matata Launches Her Foundation

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

Muhidin Issa Michuzi

1 June 2011

Tanzanian beauty queen and top fashion model Flaviana Matata on Tuesday night launched her “Flaviana Matata Foundation” aimed at helping the needy girl child and women.

An impressive number of luminaries graced the occasion held at the Kilimanjaro Kempinski hotel in Dar es Salaam, including government officials, some members of parliament, as well as stars from different arts and cultural sectors.

The foundation, that is out to raise funds in Tanzania and the US where Matata is currently based, is a tribute to the bald-headed model’s mother, who perished when MV Bukoba sank in Lake Victoria on May 21, 1996. Over 800 lives were lost in the tragedy, one of Africa’s worst maritime disasters.

Matata said the Foundation, Co-founded early this year by Matata together with Clouds Fm Director Ruge Mutahaba and Vodacom Tanzania’s Head of Corporate Affairs Mwamvita Makamba, seeks to financially assist projects that support the development of the girl child and women empowerment in Tanzania.

She said the foundation would support projects that work with young females, teaching life skills, sponsoring education and vocational training as well as empowering women’s groups, cooperatives or individual young girls or women with the goal of giving them dignity, pride and self esteem.

“I am here today not as Flaviana Matata but as a young person with a vision to stimulate a cause that I hold very dear. “It’s been 15 years since my mother’s passing and I miss her dearly I am happy to say, I have been raised by my father and the community in general.

I am one lucky person to have people around me to guide and protect. “My hope today is to start something that will collectively help the young that are not as lucky as many of us. Issues of child abuse, child pregnancy, street children, just to mention a few need our support,” she told the audience.

The Director of Culture, Profesor Hermus Mwansoko, hailed Matata as one of the shining examples of Tanzanian youth, saying her international fame had not entered into her head as is the case with other stars.

Flaviana won the first edition of the Miss Universe Tanzania pageant in 2007, and went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant the same year, where she was placed among the top 15 semifinalists and ended up in 6th place after the evening gown competition.

She has recently modelled print advertisements for Sherri Hill, while in March 2011 Matata won the Model of the Year award by Arise Magazine at the Lagos Fashion Week. She has also featured in the US magazines Dazed & Confused, Glass Magazine, L’officiel and also ID Magazine.

Flaviana Matata has also done some runway modelling for brands like Vivienne Westwood,Tory Burch Suno and Louise Gray and has featured in the Alexander McQueen film tribute and Topshop Spring 2011 ad campaign.

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