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Miss Ability Uganda 2023 dreams big
Rising above odds. Parton Musiimenta is a sign musician, fashion design student and has a knack for pageantry. Photos | Courtesy
What you need to know:
- Rising above odds. Parton Musiimenta is a sign musician, fashion design student and has a knack for pageantry.
A video went viral on social media of a Miss Uganda contestant who had an interpreter recently. We looked her up to know who she is.
The Kabale-born sign musician, actress, and 2024 Miss Uganda contestant, Parton Musiimenta unveils her journey characterised by courage and ambition.
“I lost my hearing to malaria at five years old. Initially, I lost my sight but regained it later,” Musiimenta recounts.
The first primary school Musiimenta attended was that for the hearing.
“I used to only see what they were doing because I did not have an interpreter and came last. Besides, I kept changing schools,” she explains.
In 2013, she joined a school for the deaf which was a game changer for Musiimenta.
“I learnt sign language and my performance improved and I passed Primary Seven,” she said.
Becoming deaf in childhood made it hard for her to make friends or play with her peers because they did not know sign language.
“I studied at Wakiso Secondary School of Deaf, and I realised that I was not alone in this world. I made many friends, learnt to cool my temper and I became focused,” says the fashion and design student.
On mastering sign language, she expressed her feelings in sign language. And, other people were interested in her translating songs to sign language.
After Senior Four, she joined Buganda Royal Institute of Business and Technical Education to pursue Fashion and Design. She is the only deaf student in her class, the school has an interpreter who praised her for being very instrumental and courageous.
Journey to Miss Uganda
Musiimenta in 2013, participated in Miss Ability Uganda and won the competitions.
“I participated in Miss Ability Western Uganda I won. I also topped the regional level as Miss Ability Uganda.”
The young woman participated in Miss Kitala, the competition where she was the only deaf person.
“I won and from those competitions, people saw and believed in me. This motivated me to dream big,” she says adding: “In some competitions, some judges said she was the first deaf contestant they had met.
Some thought of Musiimenta as shy, yet “I was very confident, I showed them that I was the ambassador of the rest of many girls who are deaf and that they can also compete with those who are not hard of hearing.
Participating in previous competitions motivated Musiimenta to contest for Miss Uganda.
“If I aced the previous pageants, I could take on the Miss Uganda challenge.”
Even though Musiimenta had been motivated to contest for Miss Uganda, some negative thoughts started lingering.
“How can a deaf person like myself win these people? Where am I going to get that confidence and am I good enough to compete with these people? How? I can’t make it,” she elaborates.
But after seeking advice from different people, she regained confidence for Miss Uganda. She was more confident, articulate, and focused on the goal something instrumental and a lesson to many people with disabilities who can be on the same competition platform as others.
Her first appearance on Miss Uganda, the judges started examining her, a segment that caught the attention of many and went viral on social media.
“I was so happy many people started inboxing me, sending me that video, many people were commenting on different views, it was flooded on TikTok, WhatsApp, they used to send it to me everywhere. I also felt happy to see that people now started recognising me,” she says.
Musiimenta adds that people were asking where she was and showing her the video asking if she was the one. She said she had seen it trending on TikTok.
“I was complimented for being confident and articulate. I am happy that I take any opportunity that comes my way and I thank God that people understand me. People, that used to ignore me started warming up to me and sent messages in my inbox.”
What next?
Musiimenta plans to contest as Miss Ability East Africa next month.
“I also want to be a fashionista and an advocate for people with special needs. I want to be their channel and give them whatever I can because now the country and the whole world understand that Musiimenta is there. I want to use this opportunity to help these people with disabilities,” she shares.
For effective implementation, she says she wants to visit the parents of the parents with disabilities, sensitising them about disability, informing them about what they can do to help these needy people.
“I want to support these people through different projects, for example, people who are moving with wheelchairs, the deaf people by proving and comforting them”
Away from education
Musiimenta is an actress who featured in a film The Choices We Make. She is also a sign language artiste in the Covid-19 lockdown she discovered her singing talent.
“After Senior Four, in the era of Covid-19 lockdown at home we were like slaves. I got an idea, and started translating songs from audio to sign language using audio aids,” she says adding that she continued practising constantly. I would record myself while singing. The audio aids allowed me to pick some information. I posted my videos on Facebook.”
People were surprised because they could understand, and they would say, you sing very well. She made many friends who showered her with praises.
“This year, I took part in emotive singing competitions and I have done well. On the kind of music she does: “I sing culture songs and other types of music.”
Her best song is I Will Be There by Walk Off the Earth, and she says whenever she signs that song just makes her feel it and is the best video she developed on social media.
Two cents
Musiimenta emphasises that “disability is not inability, just come out and do something. Be honest and ask what you do not know. In her free time, Musiimenta tours different parts of Uganda, socialises and sometimes she enjoys being home watching films.
