It's a New Season...It's a New Day

New Year’s Eve. It’s got to be one of my favorite “holidays” ever! No lie. And it’s not because it happens to be one of the greatest party nights of the year. I actually can’t even remember the last time I went to a New Year’s Eve party. My family and home-church have always had things planned for the coming of the new year. No, I like New Year’s Eve because it marks the end. And next to every end is a new beginning.

New Year’s Eve comes with a sense of accomplishment. We made it! We made it through another year of highs and the lows, successes and the failures, promotions and rejections. We made it through another year of new found love and broken hearts, new friendships and unforeseen betrayals. And we made it through another year of heightened dreams and minor, yet still annoying little drawbacks. I like New Year’s Eve because it’s one day out of the whole year that we’re kind of prompted to think about all that’s happened to us in the past 364 days of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got A LOT to thank God for. I’ve also got a lot of things I want to improve, however...in me, around me, and through me. And that’s what New Year’s Eve is all about...at least to me.

2008 holds a promise. I’ve been researching orphanages in Nigeria, trying to find one that not only tugs at my heart (because they all have great need), but one that we can work with, one that will be able to make use of what we have to offer. You know how it is. It’s got to work both ways. I hope to finalize this decision very soon. Then it will be months of planning, preparation, and fundraising for my trip to and work in Nigeria! There are lots of ideas in works right now, but I can’t spill all the secrets, it’ll spoil all the fun! So just stay tuned… Like I said before, 2008 holds a promise…and it must be fulfilled… in all of our lives and livelihoods.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, they are MUCH appreciated! And your comments (below) are very welcome. :)

Happy New Year Everyone!! May you find peace, love, and happiness in the upcoming year.

With Love,
Peace Amadi
Miss Nigeria in America 2007

It's Only Just Begun...

Hello Beautiful People!!

Finally, I get some downtime to formally greet you all as the new Miss Nigeria in America. I'm so thankful to my family and friends for their endless amount of support and soooo looking forward to what this year holds. I just pray I can live up to all of what MNIA represents and hope that a year from now, I will look back with no regrets.

My goodness, where do I start? It's been such a whirlwind! And here I thought getting ready for the pageant was hard work... The work has just begun. We're busy getting ready to launch my platform which involves reaching out to abused, abandoned, and orphaned kids in Nigeria. It's a project I'm calling "Project Whole" that aims to meet these children's emotional, psychological, and creative needs in very practical ways. Charity begins at home... Though I've spent much of my life working with kids here in America, I will not be satisfied until I have reached my younger brothers and sisters at Home. Our Home. You will most definitely here alot more about this project in weeks to come. You will also hear more about how you can help!

So since the pageant, two of the most meaningful things I've been part of have been the events taken place on Thanksgiving and World AIDS Day:

MNIA Thanksgiving Dinner - November 22nd, 2007

MNIA Inc. and a group of amazing, selfless people set out to LA's PATH Homeless Shelter to cook and serve a hard-working crew of people who happen to be homeless. Thanksgiving has never meant more to me as I shared it with people who were, in the midst of their circumstances, genuinely grateful for things we so often take for granted. Sometimes we learn the most from the people who have the least...




World AIDS Day - December 1st, 2007

On this weekend, we set out for Houston, TX to attend Tosa Collection's "Runway to the Cure." While some of Naija's finest fashion designers treated our eyes to a variety of beautiful, innovative designs, all proceeds from the event were reserved for Keep a Child Alive, an organization that provides AIDS medication to those infected with HIV/AIDS and builds orphanages to sustain children who have lost their parents to AIDS. (Visit Keepachildalive.org for more information.)

The fact that I was invited to speak a little bit about the effect of AIDS in Africa motivated me to really sit down and think about the impact of this disease on our world. The statistics are alarming - among them are the fact that over 32 million people are living with HIV today (68% of cases in sub-saharan Africa alone), over 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, and over 6800 people are infected with HIV e v e r y d a y !!! If these numbers don't pull the strings of your heart, I don't know what will. We must continue to remember the millions of people that have suffered because of AIDS. We must continue to recognize our responsibility to raise awareness and campaign for greater action. We must continue to care...



So that's a little bit of what's been going on with me. Much has happened, but I know much, much more is yet to come. I have a sneaky suspicion that as I set out to affect change this year, I might be the one to change the most... Stay tuned...

With love,
Peace
Miss Nigeria in America 2007

We have settled finally...

Oh my God.. It has been almost 3 weeks after the pageant... and I have to say, I am very impressed with the work of MNIA, Inc. Kudos to the whole team.. In anycase, we are working really hard to get everything updated.

Peace Amadi emerged the winner and has started her reign as Miss Nigeria in America 2007. She will work on implementing her platform which is 'Reaching out to the Abandoned, Abused and Orphaned Children of Nigeria.' She will also work on MNIA Programs. Congratulations to Peace Amadi... Check out www.mnia2007.com and www.missnigeriainamerica.org for more updates.

2007 MNIA Toy Drive - Benefiting the kids at Texas Children's Hospital - Houston

On Saturday October 13, 2007 MNIA, Inc. will host the 3rd annual Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant in Houston Texas. This year, the charity organization we chose is Texas Children's Hospital and we are embarking on a Toy Drive to benefit the kids at Texas Children's Hospital.

The goal :- To raise 100 - 250 toys

If you live in the Houston Area, and you want to donate toys for this worthy cause, you can drop off your toys at

Finger Licking Restaurant
9817 N. Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 270 - 7070

Shanae's Place
9780 Bissonnet St # A Houston, TX 77036
(713) 995-5200

If you cannot get to those places, then you can donate $5.00 and we will purchase all toys on Wednesday, October 10, 2007.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

The toys will be donated by the 2007 Delegates for the Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant on Friday, October 12, 2007.

Texas Children's Hospital is an internationally recognized full-care pediatric hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. One of the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States, Texas Children's Hospital is dedicated to providing the finest possible pediatric patient care, education and research.




MNIA Mission for Toy Drive

Our mission is to create a positive image for the Nigerian community, build a strong relationship within the Houston community and to promote the 2007 Delegates of the Miss Nigeria in America. We will also like to place a positive stamp in the hearts of the Houston community about MNIA, Inc. This will become a facilitator for us as we begin to build a positive brand in the Nigerian non profit industry. The chosen hospital for this year is the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.



For more information about the toy drive, please click MNIA 2007 TOY DRIVE

40 Days to go.. Updates, Updates, Updates

So we have 40 days to go.. 40 is a beautiful number.. A lot say "Life begins at 40"

"Forty days and forty nights" was the period Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, after which he was tempted by Satan.
Forty days was the period from Jesus' resurrection till his ascension into heaven.

In fact 40 is a blessing from God.. and the Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant is just 40 Days away..

So here we go.. Read the following and support!

Tickets

Tickets are on sale so CLICK HERE to purchase either regular or VIP Tickets and also Tickets for the Delegates Ball.

Voting Poll for favorite delegate

We have 16 beautiful delegates that will vie for the title - "Miss Nigeria in America 2007" Please go and vote for your favorite delegate and support them on October 13, 2007.

VOTE HERE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DELEGATE

Assignments

Go in and read the delegates assignments which deal with topics like Nigerian States, Self Esteem, Program Implementation. Read these great essays by the delegates and challenge yourselves by doing some of the assignments...

Journals

If you have never volunteered in your life before, we suggest you start giving back a portion of you time to give to the less fortunate. You can check out and find a volunteer organization in your area and give back. But while you are searching for what volunteer organization to join, read the incredible journals of the 2007 delegates and see how they are making a difference in society.

Again 40 days to go so please go and purchase your tickets and come and witness history as we crown the 3rd Miss Nigeria in America.

For more information about the pageant and to purchase tickets, please log on to

See you in Houston!!!!

The Buzz is on for the 2007 Miss Nigeria in America

We have launched the new website and the buzz for the 2007 Miss Nigeria in America is ON.. We are very grateful to God for the strength and the wonderful team that we have. The new and improved marketing team - Kenneth Emeson [California], Michelle Ogunbode [Maryland], ChiChi Dike [California], and Onyinye Nwankwo [Houston, Texas] have done a marvellous job and they continue to push this great event. This year is bigger and better..

We have loaded all the pictures of the delegates on facebook and the new website. Please check them out and vote for your favorite delegate. Right now, we are putting finishing touches to the script for the show and we promise to bring you the best Nigerian entertainment show.

Please log on to for more information about the show, tickets and logistics for the main event. Please tell you friends, family and all those whom you know will support this great movement.

Here are some of the promotional materials that we have for the pageant



Keep checking back for more information as we continue to update you on the 2007 Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant.

Official Fashion Designer....

MNIA,Inc. is proud to present to you D'ure Designs -The Official Fashion Designer for the 2007 Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant.

She is our guest blogger today and her designs would debut at the Fall of Signature Essence Fashion Show in Houston, Texas on August 18, 2007.
D'ure Designs will also be featured on October 12, 2007 at the Fashion Show that will be held in honor of the Miss Nigeria in America delegates. She will design the outfits the delegates will model that night at the event.





These are some of her designs. If you want to see more, check her out on August 18, 2007 or October 12, 2007 at the Delegates Gala for the 2007 Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant. For more information, you can email her at chiomanwogu80@yahoo.com
Blog by D'ure Design
"Design with ELEGANCE in Mind; Design with COMFORT in Mind; Design with YOU in Mind

Hello Ladies… My name is Chioma Adure Nwogu, The Creative Director of D’ure Designs. I am extremely excited to be working with the MNIA 2007 Team this year to create wonderful designs for the organization and for the delegates.

D’ure Designs celebrates the true and unique beauty of the woman. The pride that follows us everywhere we go. The beauty of being a woman of virtue no matter the size, shape or height. That is the beauty I love and I’m so proud to reveal through my designs. D’URE was taken out of my middle name "ADA+URE = ADURE", for those that remember how it is thought in Igbo classes. My grand father proudly gave me that name the very first time he saw me. A very close friend and sister helped me derive the name D’URE from ADURE; she knows herself and I say thank you for everything.
Everyone can be an ADURE if you look within yourself and find the Beauty that GOD has placed in you which makes you a D’ure Lady.

Elegance is key to being a D’ure Lady because my designs takes the natural elegance that you exude and brings it to life with the clothing.

Comfort is another key to being a D’ure Lady because it is very important that you are comfortable in the body that GOD gave you. Why not be elegantly comfortable with D’ure Designs

'You' is the last key to being a D’ure Lady because if you don’t see the beauty that GOD has placed in you no one will. Let your Elegance, your Comfort and You (beauty) follow you wherever you go. Proudly be a D’ure Lady!!!

My mission statement is:
-To design elegant outfits for Nigerian young adult female population in United States; Utilizing Nigerian and American Influences in order to bring out the best of both worlds.