Misker Teka: Why I’m focused On Mental Health Campaign
All the way from Ethiopia, 22-year-old Misker Kassahun Teka, who is currently studying medicine at an Ethiopian university, recently emerged African Beauty Queen 2018 at a beauty pageant in Nigeria. Teka, in this interview with Ayodeji Ake, reveals how sh
What projects will you be working on as a beauty queen?
I have lots of projects in mind, one of them is to work on mental health issues which is a really neglected issue in Africa. So, I will like to do more, do media campaigns. People need to know that there is a problem because mental health is just like another kind of illness although I already launched my project in my country a week ago. I also hope to do that in other African countries. I also want to work on women empowerment; I feel like women need to be given more opportunities, as well as be more exposed and celebrated more.
How do you plan to take this project to other African countries?
I want to work with other queens for example we have people from Ghana, Gambia, Zambia, so what I plan to do is share the ideas with them so they can take it to their countries and work on it because I am a student I can’t really be in those countries.
Why mental health and how do you intend to drive it?
Why I am focused on mental health is because I have always been fascinated about human mind. Since I was a child I have been always read about how minds work so growing up I discovered we lack a lot in that area especially in my country. I see people with depression, people are committing suicide, people not being treated like humans so I think what I saw made me to work on mental illness. There are things I plan to do and one of the activities is to print a pocket size magazines of the common mental illness in my country like major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, autism, mental illnesses and others. So I will like to take these common diseases in a very simple way and just distribute to everyone especially to universities and high schools so that at least these people can go and share with their parents. People don’t even consider depression as an illness, so I want people to know the signs and symptoms of at least the common diseases. I am trying to do a documentary showing how people can deal with mental illness and how psychiatrist can handles it and how we can spot mental illness. One thing about mental illness is that you can’t really know you have it until someone sees you and notices the sign. I also plan to hold panel discussion and public lectures so that everyone can attend and hear about it and I also plan to do a media campaign. October is actually mental illness month; I am hoping that I would show my projects using the media. I will like to have rehabilitee centers in my country where people can come and get free treatment and recover from mental illnesses, I also want to become a successful business woman because I want to show women that you can be both beautiful and also be a good entrepreneur, you can be a leader and just want to have that personality that women can look at me and say I want to be like her.
Have you been getting some kind of special treatment in your school since you emerged Miss Africa beauty queen?
I can’t say special but they are always asking me about the pageantry lifestyle and they are always fascinated about what I do besides school like photo shoots and stuffs.
How is your partner coping with your new status?
I am actually single because I have a very busy schedule, there is school, there is modeling so I don’t really have time.
Have Nigerian guys walked up to you since you came: what do you like about them?
I like the fact that they are outspoken, they appreciate what you have maybe for your looks or your brains, they appreciate you and I like that.
So would you pick a Nigerian guy over an Ethiopian guy?
I can’t really say because I haven’t spent a lot of time with a Nigerian guy so I can’t really compare them.
What’s your favorite Nigerian delicacy?
I like Jollof Rice.
You must have listened to some Nigerian music, who are your favorite Nigerian artistes?
I love Nigerian music. I like Tiwa Savage a lot, Kiss Daniel, and Davido.
You must have learnt some Nigerian Languages?
No I haven’t. I actually have had hard time understanding the pidgin language