Tanzania enlists 33 Miss Universe beauties to champion the clean cooking energy campaign

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzanian government has enlisted 33 Miss Universe Tanzania contestants to champion the use of clean cooking energy as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s transition to safer, affordable and environmentally friendly cooking solutions.

Speaking during the Miss Universe Tanzania contest held at Ledger Plaza Hotel, where 33 contestants competed for 20 places in the next stage of the competition to select Tanzania’s representative at the global Miss Universe contest, the Deputy Minister for Energy, Salome Makamba, said the contestants have a strong platform to influence communities and urged them to take the clean cooking message beyond urban centres, particularly to rural areas where awareness remains critical.

Additionally, the deputy minister stated that the government will continue working with the Miss Universe Tanzania platform to advance the national clean cooking agenda and ensure more Tanzanians understand the health, environmental and economic benefits of adopting cleaner cooking energy.

According to Minister Makamba, the participation of the contestants in the clean cooking campaign presented an opportunity to reach diverse groups in society and broaden public awareness of the importance of using safe, affordable and environmentally friendly energy for cooking.

“The contestants have an important role to play in taking the right message to communities, especially in rural areas, and becoming agents of change in promoting clean cooking,” she said.

Elaborating, she stressed that the Clean Cooking Energy Agenda, championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, seeks to ensure that at least 80 per cent of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034.

“The country has made progress, with the proportion of Tanzanians using clean cooking energy rising from about six per cent several years ago to 28.6 per cent currently, but we need more efforts to reach the national target,” she said.

Moreover, she commended Miss Universe Tanzania National Director, Millen Magese, for linking the beauty contest with the national clean cooking agenda, saying such platforms could play a significant role in influencing public behaviour.

She also called on companies and other stakeholders to support the competition and initiatives associated with it, saying stronger partnerships would enable the clean cooking campaign to reach more women and communities across the country.

Ms Magese said Miss Universe Tanzania had adopted clean cooking energy as one of its key messages for 2026 as part of its partnership with the Government to increase awareness and encourage wider adoption of clean cooking solutions.

She said the platform would continue collaborating with the government and development partners to ensure clean cooking remained part of the competition’s agenda in subsequent years.

Ms Magese said the approach would give contestants an opportunity to use their visibility and influence as ambassadors of positive change, particularly in communities that need greater awareness of clean cooking options.

During the contest, contestants delivered various messages on clean cooking energy, highlighting the need for Tanzanians to shift towards safer, affordable and environmentally friendly cooking solutions.

They pledged to use their platforms to educate and mobilise communities to reduce reliance on polluting cooking fuels and contribute to the achievement of Tanzania’s national clean cooking targets.