Sharlyn Kagereki's Journey to Miss Kenya USA

Sharlyn Kagereki has had to juggle multiple responsibilities throughout her life, including caring for a sick family member and surviving domestic violence.

Against all odds, she has persisted and emerged as an inspiration to many. As a child, Sharlyn adopted a pivotal role in looking after her younger sister who was struck with meningitis at the age of four. To tackle the added pressure, she strived for excellence and perfection. Very recently, Sharlyn clinched another great feat by bagging the crown of the Miss Kenya USA pageant in August.

While the majority of contestants were American natives, Sharlyn had her beginnings in Kenya and later relocated to Washington State at the tender age of 11. She has forever cherished her affinity towards modelling despite having to confront the drawbacks of her stature. Her internship in Idaho along with her grit has enabled her to grace coveted international meetings such as Africa Fashion Week and LA Fashion Week, undoing social biases against her based on her height.

Sharlyn highlights the distinctions between pageantry and modelling as well as clarifies why there isn't a uniform constraint on height for both. While her teammates were engrossed in social media, Sharlyn was handling more mature issues. She sees herself as a "glass child" who has encountered some tough times. She attributes her resilience to her mother's constant support. Because Sharlyn's younger sister Vivian needed greater attention because of her disability, Sharlyn challenged herself to always strive for perfection and avoid any missteps.

“In pageants, your voice and your passion for a cause matter most. I wanted to be a voice for my sister Vivian, who lost her ability to speak due to meningitis misdiagnosed back home. After two separate misdiagnoses, she was finally diagnosed with viral meningitis, by then, she had lost her speech and suffered paralysis on her left side. Vivian spent over three months in the hospital, and when she finally came out, it was like meeting a whole new person,” she says.

As the older sibling of a five-year-old sister, Sharlyn recognizes that her sister is also a glass child like herself. She advocates for her sister and aims for her to have a happy childhood. Her life motto is "End The Stigma," and she works towards educating people to eliminate stigmas. The Miss Kenya USA works with Heshima, an organization that provides dignity to disabled children in Nairobi, Kenya. Moreover, she collaborates with NONDO (Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons' Organization) to fight for the inclusion and participation of disabled people in nomadic communities. Her goal is to provide mental health experts to these communities to help them cope with the challenges they face.