#ENTHUSE caught up with an up and coming model Miyamiko Banda from the City of Kings, Bulawayo. He gave us insights into is career and the social projections he is involved in. We have to assure you that this hunky model might be the next biggest thing on the runway. Here is what he had to divulge to us.
Who is Miyamiko Banda?
Miyamiko is a 22 year old Business leader/ Model/ Life Skills trainer , with a profound desire to inspire and motivate people of all spheres , races, ages and sexes to become better at whatever it is they desire to do with the phenomenon we call life.
How did you get into the modelling industry?
Initially I had no interest in modelling whatsoever, so after being scouted by model director Amanda Mutangadura one day in a local supermarket I was moved by the fact that I’d get to work with many women which would be a new experience for since I was fresh out of a boys only high school at the time! Excited, I did a couple of Fashion shows with Amanda and slowly I was drawn to the profound artistic sphere of modelling called Photography, with the passionate and most professional photographer I’ve met to date Le Cyril Photographer we partnered to start a franchise in modelling, an outstanding and perfect foundation in the industry with me perfecting my skills as a model and his already perfected skills as a photographer, together we have worked and nurtured the what was known as potential talent seeing both of us winning various awards.
What inspired you to join the #NoShaveNovember Campaign?
The facial hair movement popularly and globally known as the ‘No Shave November ‘ was an original idea of a cancer association in New Zealand, who associated the growth of a beard and moustache to signify that of prostate cancer awareness, the campaign originally aimed at raising funds for cancer victim treatment. The prostate gland however produces a hormone called testosterone which is the similar hormone in which the human body uses to produce facial hair, hence why the theme is focused at Prostate Cancer specifically, the funds are raised by men of the general public who by withholding their money for shaving instead donate it to their local cancer associations for aid towards victims of prostate cancer, since this has become more of a global thing I then decided to start this initiative in Zimbabwe as well, since this is this first time it has been officially publicised I have resorted to segmenting this campaign only to embracing the beard as the human symbol of encouragement, tribute and respect to all men that may be suffering or may have perished from prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is a severe form of cancer, and globally affects one in every eight men, Similarly to breast cancer symptoms of its presence can be diagnosed by the lumps in the prostate region, however in most cases prostate cancer is detected after undergoing a test which in most campaigns is called ‘The finger’ alarmingly in as much as it sounds and feels gruesome it is by far the best method to detect prostate cancer, however like all forms of cancer there are four stages of it and if detected early your chances of survival are higher, however it has been discovered though that a higher percentage of any cancer battle is psychological and in most cases as men we tend to lose pride and composure in the fact that a dysfunctional man hood area may cause us to become lesser men. Which is why with this sort of campaign we don’t only want to educate the masses on prostate cancer detection and prevention etc, but to salute, encourage and motivate the men currently battling this pandemic, the men who have to be brave against something they can’t see physically or fight in actual combat, we want to tell these men out there that they are no lesser men and we stand united with them to tell them that the fight is not theirs alone, we stand as brothers in all of this, we also want this campaign to be a tribute to all the men who have lost their lives to prostate cancer, may their strength and courage be recognized and given its fair share of respect.
How has been your career so far?
My career in modelling has been slow to be honest, male modelling in Zimbabwe isn’t very popular although I have my fair share of the lime light I guess like when i was selected to represent Zimbabwe at Mr Africa in Nigeria although I could not go because I had exams at the time of note, Secondly when I hosted the Mr Ideal Contest for Botswana in Botswana 2015 and thirdly the highlight of it all was when I won Model Of the Night award at The Fashion Fights Cancer fashion by Fashion Designers Expo in Zimbabwe 2016, other than that I’ve done several basic clothing exhibits for clothing outlets like Edgars and The Rack Boutique. It’s been a slow growth so far also because I don’t focus entirely on modelling as it is but a second career of mine.
What is the future looking like? Any endorsements?
Haha! no one really knows what the future holds but with modelling I know very well that if I don’t , someone else will rise up and pioneer a pathway seeing men rise to the top of the modelling pyramid where for once men in Zimbabwe and worldwide will have more exposure and better incomes in the modelling sector. As for endorsements hopefully any potential ones are reading this article right now!
wow…interesting