The Northern Territory’s sole finalist in the Miss World Australia competition Jennifer Sochima, said she has promised herself to be a change maker, and said if she wins the crown she will use the platform to talk about issues affecting young people including discrimination and mental health.

Ms Sochima, 21, a fashion model, said she migrated from war-torn Nigeria with her mother and three siblings to Darwin in 2019, and became the only NT finalist for the Miss World Australia competition after coming second in Miss Tourism Australia in October last year.

“I instantly loved everything about the Northern Territory, especially Darwin, because it felt like home. Everyone is welcoming and it has a peaceful scenery with a great sense of community. Perfect for a family settling down in a new environment,” she said.

“But being a person of colour makes it quite discouraging to want to join these kinds of competitions, so I often struggled with self-doubt, questioning if I was good enough to compete with the other girls.

“I promised myself I’d be a change maker, who stands out wherever I find myself. To achieve that, I built myself to be self-independent, and self-disciplined, to be able to put my priorities first, and always hope for the best.

“It’s impossible to be the perfect candidate, but what makes me unique is that I am the only one of me. When I look back on where I came from, and how much I have achieved so far, the little me would be proud of myself.

“I am all about making a difference, wherever I find myself, and positively impacting the lives of others.”

Ms Sochima said that to bag the crown of Miss World Australia would be a huge honour and privilege that will come with tremendous responsibilities.

“If I win, I want to use the platform to talk about the current issues that most young people are facing which include discrimination and mental ill health. The statistics in 2022 show that one in every three young people are suffering from equity and discrimination,” she said.

“These young people are being treated unfairly due to their gender, race or cultural background, or mental health status.”

She said winning the title would allow her to contribute to social welfare, raise funds for several organisations, and donate to charities across the globe.

Before embarking on her journey to try to win the Miss World Australia title, Ms Sochima said she had been involved with humanitarian work.

Ms Sochima said she will be hosting the Cocktail for a Cause fundraising event on August 4 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin to raise money for Variety NT.

Ms Sochima said her family had feared for their lives being taken one day in their home country because there was an unprecedented wave of overlapping security crises, from kidnapping to extremist insurgencies, with almost every corner of the country being hit by violence and crime.

“Many things, including hate speech, poor governance, sectarianism, rivalry over land and resources, climate change, and violations of human rights, fuels these conflicts,” she said.

“Women, kids, and young people are the most impacted demographics. The nation is suffering from the conflict’s severe humanitarian, social, and economic effects.”

Miss World Australia holds an annual pageant to identify young Australian women who exemplify beauty, talent, intelligence and compassion.

The winner represents Australia at the Miss World International final, which includes representatives from over 132 countries around the globe. Launched in 1951, it is the biggest and longest-running international beauty pageant with a worldwide viewing audience of more than one billion people.

Among the recipients of the Miss World organisation’s fund raising have been the Nelson Mandela Trust, Canada’s Cops For Cancer, Variety Clubs International, Operation Hunger, and the SOS Children’s Villages which cares for orphaned and abandoned children in 132 countries, among others.

Editor’s note: This headline on this article previously said Ms Sochima was a refugee. This was incorrect and we apologise to Ms Sochima and our readers for the error.