I Modeled For Free -Kate

Kate Tachie Menson, Face of Africa 2008 KATE TACHIE Menson, the young Ghanaian model who won this year's edition of the M-Net Face of Africa pageant held in South Africa a couple of weeks ago has expressed the need for Ghana to take a serious look at the fashion and modeling industries.

According to Kate, modeling is one area which has great potential of engaging some unemployed youth in Ghana but is not getting the necessary attention it deserves though the country can boast of a lot of talented models.

Speaking at a press conference held for her and Hamamat Montia on Friday at the African Regency Hotel in Accra after their return from South Africa, the tall skinny lady said modeling does not pay in Ghana as models are paid meagre amounts. “Comparing South Africa's modeling industry to that of Ghana, theirs is far better. Here people don't have that will to give their all to help the fashion and modeling industry. Sometimes we do our job and deserve to be paid with a respectable amount but we don't get it. I have always modeled for free, otherwise underpaid. The job doesn't even come everyday and when you get it, you are not paid,” she said.

“In South Africa, where I will be returning to work, they really know the importance of modeling as well as the fashion industry and so they pay you well. In fact models are respected there,” she added.

Though she did not elaborate on why Ghanaians don't embrace modeling, she believes Ghanaians are not imbued with modeling and also there's a wrong perception about the career - that models are spoilt individuals.

The 23-year old fine Ghanaian lady dazzled fans at SuperBowl in Sun City on November 26 this year to annex the M-net Face of Africa title. She consequently won a modeling contract valued at $50,000 with Oluchi's O'Model Africa.

Kate told the Ghanaian press: “I went into the show with the aim to win. I have tried the Face of Africa before but I could not make it. So I said to myself I have to do something this year to win to open new doors for me since I'm part of it. I gave in my hundred percent best. That is what I did.”

Hamamat also did well but could not climb to the top. According to her “the competition was challenging. We were different ladies from different countries and we couldn't tell exactly what the judges were looking for in us. We also thought among ourselves which of us was the best and fortunately Kate came out tall.”    By Francis Addo