Mpule Kwelagobe
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Mpule Kwelagobe | |
---|---|
Born | Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe 14 November 1979 Gaborone, Botswana |
Alma mater | Columbia University |
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Spouse |
Abhijoy Gandhi (m. 2015) |
Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Title | |
Hair color | Black |
Eye color | Brown |
Major competition(s) | Miss World 1997 (Unplaced) |
Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe (born 14 November 1979) is a
Kwelagobe has been recognized as a human health rights activist, especially for her fight against HIV/AIDS and advocacy for youth and women to have greater access to sexual reproductive education and services. She is the co-founder of QuesS Capital LLC, a private equity firm with investments in financial services, renewable energy and agriculture in Africa and South Asia.
Early life and education
Kwelagobe was born on 14 November 1979 in Gaborone.[1] She comes from the Tswana ethnic group, and her native language is Tswana. Kwelagobe attended Lobatse Senior Secondary School in Lobatse, and Columbia University in New York City, graduating with a degree in international political economy.[2] She began her education at Columbia in 2002, two years after finishing her reign as Miss Universe.[3]
Career
Modeling and pageantry
Kwelagobe began her career in modeling and pageantry as a teenager. In 1997, she entered Miss Botswana 1997 while still a high school student. She ultimately won the title, becoming the youngest woman to ever win Miss Botswana at only 17. As Miss Botswana, Kwelagobe represented Botswana at Miss World 1997 in Mahé, Seychelles, where she was unplaced.[4]
Kwelagobe returned to pageantry two years later, being crowned
Post-pageantry
After finishing her reign as Miss Universe, Kwelagobe enrolled in
In November 2000, Kwelagobe launched the MPULE Foundation and continued to tour her country (Botswana) to promote behavioral change among the youth. The tour aimed to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, while also advocating access to sexual and reproductive rights for women and youths.[4]
In 2001, Kwelagobe received the Jonathan Mann Health Human Rights Award by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC).
In 2011, Ms. Kwelagobe founded the MPULE Institute for Endogenous Development, a New York City-based advocacy. Institute strives to champion public policy and is a think tank for green initiatives, sustainable development in agriculture, gender equity, and women's and youth empowerment.[13]
In 2015, Kwelagobe signed an open letter which the
References
- ^ a b "Miss Universe, Mpule Kwelagobe, Appointed UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Botswana". www.unfpa.org. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ a b "Ms Mpule Kwelagobe – African Institute for Mathematical Sciences". nexteinstein.org. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "Ms Mpule Kwelagobe". AIMS. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d "City Icon: Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe (Miss Universe 1999)". Afro Tourism. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "Mpule Kwelagobe". WebMD. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Miss Botswana takes the crown". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ a b c "The Declaration of Abu Dhabi | Mpule Kwelagobe". Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "Black African women who won Miss Universe before Zozibini Tunzi". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "HIV/AIDS Subject of Banking Committee Hearing - Women's Congressional Policy Institute". womenspolicy.org. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Wins Jonathan Mann Award for AIDS Work". United Nations Population Fund. 19 November 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "World Economic Forum Selects UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador as a Global Leader for Tomorrow". www.unfpa.org. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Celebrating 18 years since Botswana's Mpule Kwelagobe won Miss Universe – YourBotswana". Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "Celebrating 18 years since Botswana's Mpule Kwelagobe won Miss Universe – YourBotswana". Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ^ Tracy McVeigh (7 March 2015). "Poverty is sexist: leading women sign up for global equality | Life and style". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-05-08.
- ^ "Ms Mpule Kwelagobe - AIMS". www.nexteinstein.org. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
External links
- Mpule Kwelagobe Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador
- Young Global Leaders