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Queen Ariana Lamara, the Face of Gulu City, earned the Teen Talent 2024 Silver Crown and Best Interview Award at the 22nd International Children’s Festival of Culture and Art in Dubai. Representing Uganda, she highlighted Northern Uganda’s heritage and raised awareness about issues like malnutrition and the impact of the LRA insurgency on children

Queen Ariana Lamara, the reigning Face of Gulu City, has won a silver award at the 22nd International Children’s Festival of Culture and Art, also known as Little Miss and Little Mister United World 2024, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Queen Ariana, who also hosts the NBS TV show Next Little Miss Uganda every Sunday at 12:30pm, won the Teen Talent 2024 Silver Crown for Teen Miss World United and a Special Award for Best Interview.

She expressed pride in Uganda’s cultural diversity, focusing on Northern Uganda’s unique heritage, while also highlighting critical issues affecting children in her community, such as malnutrition, with the aim of creating awareness on the global platform.

During her presentation at the contest, Queen Ariana said, “If I were a president, I would stop the violence and put a smile on the faces of the children in my country.”

In an interview, she spoke eloquently about the LRA insurgency in Northern Uganda and how the war affected people through loss of lives, destruction of property, and the abduction of children, taking them into captivity.

The Talent category had six contestants in the Teen category, where Ariana came in 2nd place with the silver award, while India won gold in first place.

Ariana also received a special award for the overall best in the judges’ interviews.

There were 15 contestants, with the silver crown awarded to the 1st runner-up in the talent category.

Natalya Kovalyova, the founder of the pageant and one of the judges, commended Queen Ariana, saying, “She did really well,” praising her brilliant, touching, and confident presentation.

Her talent presentation was a musical about children’s rights, in which she recited a poem, danced, and displayed images of children suffering on a wide screen.

Queen Ariana, who is set to hand over to the next queen at the Face of Gulu City 2024 grand finale on December 20, 2024, says she has a personal mission to ensure that every child is happy.

Queen Ariana Lamara’s achievements at the XXII International Children’s Festival of Culture and Art reflect not only her talent and poise but also her deep commitment to her community and country.

Nelson Okeny, the organizer behind the annual Face of Gulu beauty pageant, expressed his pride in Queen Ariana’s success: “By representing Uganda and Gulu City on such a prestigious platform, she has brought attention to the rich cultural heritage of Northern Uganda while addressing pressing issues that affect children. As she said in her own words, ‘Every child has a dream,'” he added with a smile.

He also noted that her ability to articulate the challenges faced by her community, particularly in the context of the Joseph Kony-led LRA insurgency, demonstrates her deep-rooted dislike for violence against children.

“I want to inspire change among teenagers and make sure every child has a smile on their face,” she repeated after the pageant.

The contestants were interviewed by a panel of 20 judges from various countries, including Ukraine, Germany, and Switzerland.