An initiative to promote youth talent and leadership was launched Saturday under the banner “Mr and Miss Eastern Equatoria,” with organisers and officials saying it aims to foster peace and community engagement in Eastern Equatoria State.
The platform, unveiled by Eastern Talent, is intended to encourage young people to develop their creativity and leadership skills while contributing to development efforts across the state.
Speaking at the launch in Juba, Eastern Talent Award chairperson Vicky Imoya said the program marks “the birth of a vision to harness the creativity, energy and leadership potential of our young people.” She said the initiative seeks to cultivate unity and inspire youth to take an active role in community development.
Imoya said the partnership with Ascent Youth Initiative provided institutional support and guidance that helped bring the project to fruition. “We want participants to emerge not only as title holders but as ambassadors of peace, service and cultural pride,” she said.
She added that the pageant will include mentorship and community activities aimed at strengthening unity and empowering participants across the state.
Vice President Josephine Joseph Lagu welcomed the initiative, describing it as a youth-driven platform with national significance. She said she was “deeply impressed and deeply touched” by the organisers’ vision and the leadership potential demonstrated by the young people involved.
While acknowledging she previously had reservations about beauty contests, Lagu said the Eastern Equatoria pageant stands out because it promotes “beauty with purpose, not aimless beauty.” She said participants are presenting themselves as “young people with purpose” who want to be “agents of change” and partners in leadership.
Lagu said the initiative reflects unity and peace and that young people are seeking opportunities to translate their talents into meaningful impact. “They want talents with opportunities,” she said, urging leaders to support them.
She pledged government backing, saying her office would do all it can “within its means to support these young people,” and expressed confidence the program would benefit not only Eastern Equatoria State but the country as a whole.
Julius Mwelinga Ajio, a lawmaker representing Eastern Equatoria State in the national parliament, described the initiative as a unique achievement led by local youth. He said the organisers had created “something unique that has not been seen in this country,” adding that participants are already “the stars” who have opened new space for youth engagement.
Ajio encouraged young people to invest in education and leadership and urged authorities to sustain the platform through collective support. He said the pageant should focus on social impact rather than profit, stressing that it carries values including health, wisdom and peacebuilding.
Governor Louis Lobong Lojore called the launch a turning point for youth leadership in the state, saying the platform is “more than a celebration of beauty and talents,” but “a declaration to South Sudan and to the world that the youths of Eastern Equatoria are not waiting for tomorrow — we are building today.”
He urged young people to seize opportunities and lead with purpose. “The stage is yours. The time is now,” he said, encouraging unity, entrepreneurship and skills development to help youth transform talents into sustainable opportunities.
The governor reaffirmed government support for the initiative and said it should serve as a platform for peacebuilding and national cohesion, adding that participants would be judged “by the strength of your ideas and the depth of your vision for your communities.”