Businesswoman sponsors contestant

By Moya Iowa
A young Papua New Guinea businesswoman has joined the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) PNG family as sponsor of a contestant.
Corporate apparel and fashion-wear company After Dark Fashions (ADF) is the sponsor of the fifth contestant in the pageant, Rachael Ezekiel, 26, from Markam in Morobe.
The pageant is in its seventh year and chairperson Molly O’Rourke said the it was proud to be associated with small-to-medium businesses and thanked ADF owner Kathleen Ipi Johnson for coming on board with the sponsorship.
Johnson said that as an SME owner, it was a blessing to be part of the pageant.
ADF first started supporting the Miss PNG Red Cross around 2006 after its incorporation and was pleased to support the MPIP through its first sponsorship .
Miss After Dark Fashions Rachael Ezekiel said she was humbled and privileged to be given the support and opportunity to become
a voice for those who could not speak for themselves and also to support high-achieving young women to complete their tertiary education through the MPIP PNG Scholarship Fund.
Ezekiel’s wardrobe will be designed by local Tabu Warupi (TABU) who thanked MPIP and ADF for giving her the opportunity to showcase her designs and allowing her to come on board.
Present at the launch was patron of MPIP Linda Babao-O’Neill, who said the event was a good example of women empowering women.
Babao-O’Neill congratulated the contestant, sponsor and designer.