LindaTinah.: Meet Victoria Nabunya, Miss Uganda 2001: then and now.

Let us back track a little...then move forward:)

It all started when i won the title of Miss Uganda, after which i went on to represent Uganda at the Miss World Pageant that was being held in Sun City, South Africa that year.
At Miss World, i quickly pushed my name up by making it to the top 3 finalists for the Miss World Scholarship. This was a very big deal because 90 contestants were all competing for it! 90! I must say i am very proud of myself for having made it so far among such talented and brilliant young women! It was an awesome experience that any young lady would surely enjoy!

Back in Uganda, i was involved in many projects, charities and social events. It was such a whirl wind of events that looking back i wonder how i ever managed it all! It was so much to do, so many places to be! My most memorable contributions as Miss Uganda that i will forever look fondly back at are:
1) The NGO i started, Victoria Breast Cancer Initiative with the aim of raising funds to purchase a mammogram machine for Mulago hospital (which we did). I teamed up with Uganda Tourism Board and the women at Uganda Golf club to make this happen. I approached several companies, well-wishers and other individuals to raise the funds. The women at Uganda Golf Club held a golf tournament with the aim of raising money for the mammogram. I worked tirelessly even without the help of some of those i expected support from and got things done. I will always be grateful to Mr. John Waigo of UTB who worked tirelessly with me, Dr. S. Zaramba, Dr. Anthony Gakwaya of Mulago Hospital, Mrs. Grace Obua who was Lady Captain at Uganda Golf Club as well as Mr. Charles Kareeba who was Uganda Gold Club Captain and Mrs. Jolly Kalemera and many more that i have not mentioned here. They really played a big role! Now that i am in the health field as well, i plan on getting back to work on more projects in the future and continuing to raise Breast cancer awareness in Uganda.

Climbing Mt. Rwenzori

2) Another special journey was my broadcast hike to the peaks of Mt. Ruwenzori. I was discouraged from making such a strenuous trip but once again, i insisted (i can be a bit stubborn when i really want to do something). MTN donated some gear to help me with my journey, and i was able to have security and porters with me so off i went. My aim was to promote Uganda's tourism and to officially open the new bridges that had just been built. Before i started my hike, i got a chance to meet the then CRN Director, Bent Ronsen and his team who had been working tirelessly in the area and in the Congo as well to bring peace. My hike was a much appreciated gesture because to them it showed that the area was becoming safer, if i could come down and spend a week hiking in the mountains! I will not forget the dancers who welcomed me or the proud look on the men's faces who hiked up with me when they saw how determined i was not to give up! They were not sure if this skinny, Miss Uganda would make it but i did! I have been able to visit most of Uganda’s touristic destinations and i love the beauty in our country! I wish more people would take the time to see more of what Uganda has to offer, before they hop on a plane to go to some fancy resort. My favourite place i think is Mweya because of scenic views and the bird watching experience. I love it there!
And earlier this year (Jan 2014) i finally went gorilla tracking--that has now become one of my other favourite places to visit...i must go back and visit the gorillas in Bwindi!

Gorilla tracking in Bwindi

3) And lastly, i will not forget my trip to Kitgum, at a time when the fear of Kony and his rebels was still significant! I was discouraged from going to Kitgum but i couldn't turn away a chance to show some love and bring some hope to people who had been tormented and tortured in unimaginable ways! So once again, i followed my heart and embarked on a special journey. I had security with me and good people around me, so i decided it was worth it. I brought with me basics to give out and brought lots of smiles to many people. The joy on their faces is still with me...The stories they shared with me have also remained with me. I stopped in Gulu town and visited a hospital there...i was accompanied by then Miss Northern Uganda, Christine Akullo. On our arrival at the hospital, two boys were born. Their parents gave us the honour of naming them so i named one Victor and Christine named the other Chris. Christine and i have actually decided to try and find these two boys so that we can be part of their lives somehow...hopefully we find them! Being able to not only donate things to the people i met but just showing them that someone cares about their stories was very important to me...so i am glad to have made the journey despite the risks.

At the Miss World Pageant 2001

I hope this helps all my readers know a little bit more about who i really am and what i did during my reign. I often hear stories about me that are not accurate so it is nice to put some truth out there given the fact that we have social media right at our finger tips! (I wonder what took me so long lol).
Yes, there was some drama and headline news during my reign because my father (May his soul RIP) was not entirely sold on the idea of pageants...he was a different kind of guy with his own set of rules and your typical african dad if you know what i mean. All in i all i wouldn't change anything. I cannot speak for the Miss Ugandas before or after me, but personally that time of my life taught me so much about myself, my country and its people and i wouldn't change anything. It gave me a chance to give back to my community and to grow in character and as a person...that is an experience that does wonders for a young lady if used well, and it did for me.

I must say that there were many Aha moments, scary moments, tear-packed moments and even stressful moments when i was Miss Uganda...it was not all roses. I remember the first time the tabloids wrote a false story about me; i cried so much to mother and my dear grandmother (May she RIP) but i later developed a thick skin and learnt to roll with the punches and even laugh about those stories. There was also jaw dropping moments like when i met Nelson Madela (May his soul RIP) in Shambala, South Africa and danced with him, and later dined with his daughter at my assigned table. Or when i met the late Gadaffi when i traveled to Libya (on a private jet) together with several ziper models as well as other models/actors from various African countries, for an African Cultural Event. I got a chance to meet this man that i had only read about in books and even got invited to his palace...that is another story for another day, but let me just say that the hot/extremely good-looking, female bodyguards are not a fairy tale...they are real!

First forward to today; I am currently finishing up some studies (i actually love school/studying...always have since i was a kid so i think i will always be studying something haha) in the States and just living one day at a time, enjoying what each new day brings forth...I am so thankful for all that i have been blessed with so far and i really cannot/should not complain.
I am always being asked about my romantic life, marriage, kids etc but I prefer to keep my private life private...not because i am hiding anything but because i am a private person...always have been despite being thrown into the limelight after winning Miss Uganda. It may sound surprisng for some but i am actually more of an introvert and a very reserved individual who doesn't like too much attention and sometimes fancies being a recluse hahahaha...and i treasure the sanctity/privacy of certain aspects of my life...but of course that is not to say that there cannot be a time to share that part of my life when it feels right:) That could be another story for another day too...