Getting to Know Cartier Zagorski - Miss Earth Zambia 2014

 How did you become interested in pageants?

    As a young child I was always fascinated with glitz and glamour.  The aura that surrounds pageants has always had a magnetic attraction for me.

How does it feel to represent Zambia in Miss Earth 2014?

     Being able to represent Zambia in Miss Earth 2014 gives me a sense of pride and the opportunity to create more awareness for the country and in so doing, gives Zambia international exposure as the competition takes place on an international platform.  I feel as though I have accomplished something greater than myself.

Tell me about your country and why we should visit it.

     Zambia is a diverse, friendly and to a large extent, unspoilt country.  Because Zambia is mostly a natural habitat and lacks a large developed sector, there are beautiful and natural features, for example the Victoria Falls, which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and most importantly one of the biggest eco-tourism attractions in Zambia.

     The Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates to the Smoke that Thunders, is a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.  While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is classified as the largest, based on its width of 1,708 metres and height of 108 metres resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water.

     The official language of Zambia is English, which is used to conduct official business and is the medium of instruction in schools. The main local language, especially in Lusaka, is Nyanja. However, Bemba and Nyanja are spoken in the urban areas in addition to other indigenous languages. The total number of languages spoken in Zambia is 73.

     From our fauna to our flora, from the breath-taking views to our developing infrastructure, from our mother-tongue to our adoption of 73 languages, Zambia is a must to visit.



When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

     As a child I wanted to be several supernatural beings:  a witch, a unicorn, a mermaid but settled to be, the most attainable, a princess.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

     I believe my strengths lie in the fact that I am a natural leader who likes to be in charge;  I value security and tradition, am loyal, straight-forward and honest, hard-working and dependable.  I am driven to fulfil my duties and will follow projects through to completion and have a clear set of standards and beliefs by which I live.

     However, I have no doubt that my weaknesses include being rather ridged in my ideas and lacking the ability to be flexible.

Give three adjectives that your friends would use to describe you.

     Dry-witted, enthusiastic and supportive.


What do you see when you look in the mirror?

     When I look in the mirror I am delighted with who is looking back at me, from an exterior point of view.  From an interior point of view, I am very proud of my reflection as I have fought hard to like the person staring back at me.

How do you measure success?

     In my opinion, success is measured by the content of someone’s character.

How do you handle criticism?

     Neither positive nor negative criticism is easy for me to handle, but I am able to digest positive criticism a little easier.  Criticism in general is a hard pill to swallow.

If you were to come back as an animal in your next life, what would you be and why?

     I struggle to keep quiet so I would like to come back in my next life as a parrot, not forgetting that their colouring makes them highly fashionable and beautiful.


What is the environmental advocacy that you are promoting right now and that you will promote when you compete in Miss Earth 2014?

     Basically the environmental advocacy which I chose was the water crisis in Zambia.  There are many diseases that are spread through the lack of fresh drinking water as well as sanitation.  I would like to influence the public policy in social, economic, political, cultural but most importantly, environmental spheres in order to bring about positive change in human rights as well as environmental issues.  The advocacy which I have chosen involves both protecting the public from environmental hazards and protecting the natural world as a whole.

     Technology makes life very convenient but it is also being blamed for certain environmental problems.  How do you propose to find a balance between technology and earth preservation?

     It is possible to find a balance between technology and earth preservation.  An example of this can be seen in Zambia in the rural areas where technology is used to benefit farmers through irrigation practices and thus contributes positively to the environment by returning nutrients to the soil that would otherwise be lost.  The drip irrigation system in Zambia has proven that technology has been successful and efficient in poor communities. This system involves collecting rain water which would otherwise have been washed away as run-off and wasted but has now been used to move down through soil quickly in order for the roots to absorb it thus farmers and their families are given life opportunities instead of starving from a lack of rainfall.

If you are to save only one of the two elements of Mother Nature, water or air, which would you choose and why?

     Without a doubt I would choose water as water contains oxygen and therefore makes it life-sustaining (hopefully).  Water is used to sustain both land and aquatic life forms so in actual fact you are getting two for the price of one.

How would you describe the beauty of nature to a blind child?

     The beauty of Mother Nature does not lie solely in what we see.  I would describe beauty in the sounds of nature, the songs of birds, the roar of lions and the  whisper of the wind in the trees.  Nature has countless wonderful fragrances from the exotic smell of flowers to the smell of wet grass after a heavy rainfall.
And then there are textures:  the papery roughness of bark, the softness of mosses and the warmth of rabbit fur.  Instead of trying to explain what may never be understood by a blind child, I would close my eyes and try to enter their world.


Which has more significance to your life right now – sunset or sunrise?

     Sunrise.  It is the beginning of a new day.  It is the beginning of new challenges, experiences and friendships.  A sunrise is always an indication of how you can improve yourself; a sunrise is hope for a better today.  The warmth of a sunrise has the ability to welcome you with open arms to a new day.

What do you think of pageant contestants who have done cosmetic surgery just to enhance their beauty and think that they have a big chance of winning a crown?

     Beauty needs to be paired with brains so it is a misconception to think your chance of winning a crown would be increased by having cosmetic surgery done.  If you need cosmetic surgery, perhaps you do not have the basics which it takes to enter such a pageant.  Being able to articulate yourself intelligently and having a personality are some factors that will enable you to carry your crown with dignity and pride.

Name three pet peeves.

     People who blame anything but themselves for their failures; people who text while driving and people who push alcohol at social functions.

What will you never do?

     I will never bungee jump!

Got any favorite reality shows?

     Survivor and The Amazing Race.


True or false – people who are attractive tend to be more successful.

     False.  People are judges on face value so first impressions are very important as shallow as it may seem. The point here is:  is attractive beauty or is attractive being able to put yourself together?  Being able to pair a great exterior will automatically promote one’s great interior and therefore make you more successful than so-called attractive people.  It is therefore not based solely on being attractive but rather being able to present your idea in the best gift-wrapping possible.

Do you have a problem with saying no?

     No – but not when it comes to my nieces and nephew.

Describe a romantic date.

     A beautiful dinner at one of my favourite restaurants with handsome company and a rose scattered here and there.

Your craziest or funniest tweet so far.

     I’m officially Miss Earth Zambia 2014!

You are going to compete at Miss Earth this year.  Aside from winning the pageant, what do you wish to accomplish in this said competition?

     I wish to make a lasting impression on the other contestants so they will never forget their incredible experience which includes Miss Earth Zambia 2014.  More than anything, I want to take full advantage of the opportunity and literally have the time of my life on the most prestigious stage that is Miss Earth International 2014.

Why do you want to be the next Miss Earth?

     Being the next Miss Earth would give me the responsibility and allow me to be a role model to the youth and be able to provide education on environmental awareness.  It has always been my desire to be a role model to younger children and this title would give me the privilege to make this a reality.  Each of us has a responsibility toward Mother Earth and being Miss Earth would give me the capacity to make others aware as I was made aware.  The Miss Earth programme provides exposure and resources across borders which expand the benefits incurred.  Because Zambia is the place I call home, winning Miss Earth would allow for Zambia to gain international recognition and contribute to the country’s earth awareness by growth, sustainability, conservation and enrichment of my country.


Choose one and explain your choice:

Hot or cold?

     Hot.  Everything that is hot is better – from food to weather to people.

City or the countryside?

     Country side.  The country side has a soothing, calming effect as well as being a healing agent to my sanity.

Fame or money?

     Fame.  Money comes and goes but fame is forever.

Crown or career?

     Crown.  Once a Miss Earth always a Miss Earth.  Your crown could turn into your career and a very successful one at that.

Beautiful or smart?

     Smart.  Beautiful is fleeting – a very lovely quality but not sustainable.

Finally, what is your message to all your Critical Beauty fans who are supporting you?

     I am here whether you like it or not.  This is more than a pageant.  It is an opportunity to make a difference and change lives across borders.


Interview by David Natanawan 

With Miss Earth South Africa 2014 Ilze Saunders