BY CHIEDZA MAZHANGARA NOTWITHSTANDING his poor upbringing, Ishmael Isheunesu Murangandi has defied the odds and with family support has managed to move from grass to grace.
After the passing away of his father, life has never been easy for Murangandi, but he continues to shine following his passion in modelling.
While he describes himself as a farm boy, the Bulawayo model has grown to become a professional who has managed to represent his nation on the international ramp.
The founder of Mister Zimbabwe International is set to represent the country at the Mister World Heritage this October in India.
The Mister World Heritage, whose origins are in India, is a male pageant that aims to promote tourism as well as celebrate cultural diversity.
This is not the first time for the Bulawayo model to represent the nation at the international stage; last year he participated at the virtually held Mister Friendship International.
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At that pageant, Murangandi was the first African to make it to the top 10 and later top five which was the final stage of the competition alongside Mister Brazil, Malaysia, Panama and Philippines.
The 25-year-old Murangandi said the pageant would bring men of great value and traditional knowledge from different countries under one roof to showcase their various talents for a week.
“Representing Zimbabwe on such a global stage is an amazing honour and great opportunity which I am grateful for. I have already started preparations for the pageant and everything is going on well,” he explained.
“I am thankful to my director Nigel Shamu for financial assistance to work towards achieving the desired results.”
Murangandi, who started his modelling career in 2019, believes hard work will one day pay off.
“I grabbed the opportunity to represent my nation, it was for both seasoned and experienced models. To qualify, I responded to the call and sent my entry video which I am sure was a standout among the rest. Zimbabwe is a powerhouse on such big platforms when it comes to modelling, as we did it last time.
“This year, we are going for the crown again,” Murangandi enthuses.
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