Miss Zambia

Rosemary Mulenga Chileshe

Rosemary grew up in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia with her family, then travelled overseas due to her parents professional work. She graduated Hallam University with a BSc (Hon’s) in Business Property Management. She considered Surveying as her chosen path as she believes it to be a highflying, sophisticated industry, a career which offers different activities every day. During her studies Rosemary has worked in many different jobs, thereby gaining skills in self-management, telephone, working under pressure and patience. In her leisure time she enjoys reading, cooking, socialising, writing, Karaoke singing and dancing to RNB, Zambian Rhumba, and a bit of Salsa. Her sporting interests are: Netball, Badminton, volleyball, running and tennis. In her eyes each day is a different day and she believes that everyone should relate to themselves, others and the word around them with increasing clarity.


Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your home town/city, and family.
I grew up in the capital city of Zambia (Lusaka). I was born on the 14th September 1980 in the University Teaching Hospital (UHT), Lusaka’s main hospital. Due to my parents travelling abroad for work and education, I lived with my grandparents until the age of 12 years old. I then joined my parents and my youngest sister in late 1993 in England -UK. I am the first born in a family of 3 girls.

What Jobs have you done? What was the most interesting/bizarre?
I worked for many companies, they were all interesting but the most bizarre was McDonalds restaurant, an employment I first had at the age of 17. This job was offered to me after undertaking a work placement as part of my Business Studies course in college.
Ant Marketing - where I worked as a Telephone Operator. My main duty was working on various catalogue campaigns. I received continuance inbound phone calls from a wide range of customers ordering various goods, form clothes to furniture etc.
Sheffield Hallam University - Before enrolling at my university for my final year of my BSc (HONS) Business Property Management, for an intensive two weeks period, I worked in the School of Business and Finance. My role was to carry out administrative duties ranging from filing, photocopying to contacting other departments within the university.
DTZ (Debenham Tie Leung) - As part of a four-year sandwich course, the third year of my Degree Course was spent on a one-year work placement at DTZ, International Property Surveyors. I was based in the Business Rates Department where I was required to carry out in-depth research via the Internet and by contacting internal and external surveyors for comparable evidence for corporate clients.
McDonald’s Restaurant Limited - My job position was a Floor Manager (FM). My main objective was pushing service by motivating staff on the shop floor to operate effectively and maintain the required customer service standards. My other duties included working on the tills and handling money by cashing up at the end of each shift, recording breaks, talking and recording temperatures in the Daily Product Safety Checklist (DPSC) to ensure they meet the Food Safety Act.
The Sheffield Valuation Office Agency - I worked with The Sheffield Valuation Office for one week as part of my Professional Practice Skills Unit. During that time, I undertook assignments in the Business Rates office where I analysed factories, big space warehouses.

What are your career ambitions, how do you plan to realise them?
Currently I am a Graduate Commercial Property Chartered Surveyor and a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), I aim to specialise in Investment, Business Space and Valuation departments. The next stage will be to undertake my final Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and Continued Professional Development (CPD) in order to become fully chartered and add ‘Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ (MRICS) to my credentials, my ambition is to work towards becoming an Associate Director for experience on a much higher level then after a year become a Managing Director of a high profile International Property Surveying Firm. I aim to progress according to the company’s hierarchical chart so that I can gain experience in all stages, therefore be of an example and an effective leader to all or progress through creativity, innovation and determination.

What is the proudest moment of your life? (Not including winning your National Title)
The proudest moment of my life was achieving a distinction grade in my advanced GNVQ Business Studies course in college, then achieved a 2nd class division in my BSc (HONS) Business Property Management Degree Course. These are my most personal proudest moments because I was faced with a lot of challenges especially in my degree, which I chose to study simply because it was a course I knew nothing about therefore I had to work hard to get myself to standard.

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
The most funniest and probably most embarrassing moment of my life was being scared of the camera flash when I was younger. I loved being in front of the camera but the moment the flash clicked, I would cry and run away looking for somewhere to hide. The camera flash scared the life out of me, up to this date, I cannot figure out the theory behind that.

Tell us about an interesting event you have attended, or a person that you have met.
During the reign of my title, I have attended a number of interesting events, the first event holding a lot of significance is the "Staying Alive for Zambia-Inspire a Child" concert I hosted in Zambia which was aimed at sensitising the general public on the negative impact of child defilement, gender based violence, the plight of HIV/AIDS orphans and the spread of HIV/AIDS through music, which I believe can provide education, information and entertainment.

What would you like to do, if you became Miss World 2004?
If I become Miss World, I will continue to raise the awareness of HIV/AIDS in Zambia and worldwide because it is a disease affecting everyone, everywhere, a disease with no boundaries of restrictions. I aim to encourage everyone regardless of gender to enhance or improve their education, to take up technical / domestic courses hence have an equal balance. I will continue to preach the message the "Education forms a solid foundation and provides a stepping stone in life."

If you had a personal motto what would it be?
Be curious, rather than judgemental and grow from all your experience.
To get positive results, use positive words, thoughts, feeling and actions.
You have to understand what your place as an individual is and the place of a person who is close to you. You have to understand the space between you before you can understand the more complex / large groups.


Give details of any charitable work undertaken?
UK - HIV/AIDS campaigns across universities in Sheffield, UK
Charity Ball Dinner at Sheffield Park Hotel to raise money for HIV/AIDS Orphans
Zambia get together summer party to raise money for Orphans.

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