I used my beauty pageant reign to change lives – Model


A model, humanitarian, entrepreneur, Law student and founder of the Stella Dike Foundation, Miss Ogeri Dike Stella, has said she used the platform afforded her as Miss Diaspora Nigeria Universe to establish a foundation and reach out to the less privileged in Ebonyi state and other parts of the country.
In a exclusive interview with Blueprint in Abuja Sunday, after handing over her crown to the new Miss Diaspora Nigeria Universe, Hope Edward, Stella said that being a beauty pageant is an avenue for women to embark on touching lives and providing humanitarian interventions, instead of engaging in promiscuity.


She said: “My emergence as Miss Diaspora Nigeria Universe in July, 2019 was a tough one because it was a national event. We had different people representing different states, while I represented Ebonyi state and emerged winner at the end of the day. The struggle was not an easy one as we had people from different backgrounds and personalities coming to contest for the crown. It was tough, but I believed it was something I could do. I put in my best and it worked for me at the end of the day.
“Since my reign, I didn’t see it as an opportunity for self glory. I started the Stella Dike Foundation few months into my reign and used it as a platform to touch lives and impact on society so that at the end of my reign, my time would be impactful. My reign lasted for two years, instead of a year. I was supposed to hand over last year, but COVID-19 didn’t allow any contest to be organised for a handover.
“I have used the platform to enlighten people and inspire young girls. There are many young girls who are confused and unable to carry out their life ambitions. I remember sponsoring some young girls in competitions, where they equally emerged winners, started their own humanitarian projects and are still impacting on society. I have also used my reign as an educative platform for young people willing to become something in life.


“My love for humanity inspired my establishing the Stella Dike Foundation. I love positive changes. The best way to impact lives and to achieve positive changes is to become the change ourselves. Therefore, the desire to become a change agent prompted me to found my NGO on 1st January, 2020; in order to bridge the gap between the less privileged and the haves in society. 
“We launched the Foundation by kick-starting our first project known as Kids Back To School on January 28, 2020. The project was to enable children, who were yet to enroll in schools, to get basic school materials they needed, including school bags, writing materials, sandals, lunch boxes, among others.
“We noticed that some of the school children actually wanted to return to school, but because of these basic materials, most of them couldn’t afford the aforementioned materials and were forced to stay back home. So, we had to intervene by giving them these materials and we also paid tuition for some of them, who were at the verge of dropping out of school last year.”