Video summary
Charlene Yi discusses the reasons behind her decision to marry Isaiah Yunge, a Tanzanian man she met while participating in the Miss International pageant. She clarifies that her choice was never based on his nationality but rather on his character and spiritual depth. Upon meeting him, Charlene recognized that he is a man who loves God and possesses a clear purpose in life, qualities she considers essential for a lifelong partner. She emphasizes the importance of mutual growth, noting that since both she and Isaiah have their own purposes, they must actively contribute to each other's lives rather than simply existing together without adding value.
The conversation also touches on the transition from being a Miss to becoming a Mrs., with Charlene noting that only two weeks have passed since her marriage and that they are still in their honeymoon phase. During the interview, she is joined by Shalyn Ruto, now Mrs. Isaiah Yunge, marking her first time appearing as a married woman. The discussion shifts to the theme of "Leadership Beyond the Crown" for this year's Miss International competition. Charlene expresses hope that participants understand the crown is just one victory among many, encouraging young women to focus on the valuable lessons, connections, and networks they can build throughout their journey in the pageant world.
When asked about the balance between beauty and intelligence, Charlene argues that while physical beauty is a gift from God that helps women enter a room, it is their intellect and heart that keep them there. She points out that women have the power to change conversations not just with their appearance but with their minds and spirits, suggesting that a delicate balance of both is necessary. Furthermore, she addresses common misconceptions about beauty queens, highlighting how pageants like Miss International have evolved to be more inclusive regarding body types and life experiences. She notes that rules such as age limits or bans on marriage and children are restrictive and hopes the industry will broaden its acceptance to include women regardless of their past challenges.
Finally, Charlene addresses the scrutiny she faces as the daughter of a president, acknowledging that people are entitled to form their own opinions but stating that she does not let criticism affect her heart. She explains that her choices in dress and speech are intentional reflections of what is on her mind at the time, yet she maintains emotional resilience against public analysis. The interview concludes with a lighthearted exchange about setting a probationary period for their marriage to ensure it continues to thrive, before Charlene thanks the hosts for the opportunity to share her story and wishes everyone an enjoyable evening.
Read the full video transcript
All right, now I mean, this is a
question that so many people want to
hear. What made you say that this
Tanzanian man, Isaiah, he is the one?
>> Wow.
I I First of all, I don't think I said
yes to him because he's Tanzanian.
>> Uh-huh.
>> It's the person that he is inside.
>> Okay.
>> When I met him, I could definitely tell
this is a man who loves God, who is
after God's own heart. And for me,
that's a big thing that I wanted in the
person I spend the rest of my life with.
He's very intelligent, very smart. And
he has a purpose. I think it's very
important to be with someone who has a
purpose because I have a purpose. I know
what I'm doing. I've been doing it for a
while. And if you're not coming to add
to it, then why are we together? And if
I'm not coming to add to what you have
as well. So, that is what made me to be
with Isaiah, and I really believe he's
the one who God had kept for me.
>> Yeah.
>> Has anything changed from miss to
misses?
>> [laughter]
>> Um
I don't know. Let's see how it goes.
It's just been 2 weeks.
>> Still honeymoon.
>> Yeah, so let's see how it goes.
>> And right here with me is Shalyn Ruto.
Oh, miss Shalyn. Let's correct that.
>> Mrs. now.
>> Oh, yeah. Mrs. Isaiah Yunge, right?
>> Right, right.
>> Oh my God, is it the first interview
you're doing as a Mrs.?
>> Yes, it is.
>> I love it. What an honor to do this. All
right, Shalyn, we are here today to
celebrate women.
>> Yes.
>> What is that quality that you feel the
Miss International Kenya today should
have when she gets the crown?
>> Yeah, I really like the theme for Miss
International this year, leadership
beyond the crown. Why? Every time we
have a beauty pageant like this one, one
beautiful young woman walks away with a
crown. And the crown is an amazing win,
but it's not the only thing. So, I'm
praying that the young women who
participated in Miss International this
year, they'll know that the crown is one
beautiful thing, but there's [snorts] so
many other lessons, there are so many
other connections, so many other
networks they can make.
>> Yeah.
>> All right, Charlene. Beauty or brains?
Because I mean, it's even called a
beauty pageant.
>> Not a brains one.
>> Yeah.
>> [laughter]
>> I don't know.
What do you think? Which one? Which one
goes?
>> Um
I think
you know, for example, there is Mr.
International, but why is it Miss
International that is known? Why is it
Miss World that's known? Miss Earth,
Miss Universe. Women are so beautiful,
so beautiful. And when you enter a room,
you can totally change the conversations
that happen there. You can change it
with your face, but also you can change
it with what's in your mind and what's
in your heart. So, I think it needs to
be a delicate balance.
>> Uh-huh.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Okay.
>> to use our beauty to our advantage.
>> Yes, we do.
>> mean, it's a gift from God.
>> It is, definitely. And it's what can get
us in the room, but what will keep us in
the room is the brain.
>> Yeah, I agree. All right. Now, we also
have a lot of misconceptions when it
comes to beauty queens. What is that one
misconception you know that you would
want to nullify having interacted with
them?
>> Um
I think there's a lot of policy work
that needs to go into the beauty world.
I've read through some of the
requirements for Miss International when
I was coming for this event. For
example, you can't be married. So, for
example, I can never be Miss
International now even if I wanted to
be.
>> Oh, okay.
>> There's an age limit. Uh you should
never have had a child. So, that already
cuts out a lot of women. So, I think
these are the things that many beauty
pageants need to begin to look at. I
know before, it used to be how maybe
tiny you were, how slim you are, but
that has changed with time and
more women with different kinds of body
shapes have been accepted into the
beauty pageant world. So, now it could
could even go broader to be women who,
no matter what you've gone through in
life, you can still be a part of a
beauty pageant like Miss International.
>> Uh-huh.
Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> All right, Sherry. Now, people talk
about you a lot, you know?
>> Really?
>> They do. I mean, because you've grown in
a in an incredibly public family. And
you know, people get to analyze a lot of
details about you, your privacy, your
life, everything. Do you ever feel like,
you know, they should just give you a
break a little bit just because you're
the president's daughter?
>> Um
I think people are entitled to their
opinions, which is fine.
What I do is I don't let it get to my
heart. Um if I've dressed a particular
way, it's how I wanted to dress for the
day. It's how I wanted to look. If I
said a particular thing, that was what
was on my heart or my mind to share. So,
I think people are free to criticize,
people are free to, you know, analyze
what I say, but I don't let it get to my
heart, you know, whether it is good,
whether it is bad.
>> Yeah.
>> All right. Now, I mean, this is a
question that so many people want to
hear. What to make you say that this
Tanzanian man, Isaya, he is the one?
>> Wow.
I I First of all, I don't think I said
yes to him because he's Tanzania.
>> Uh-huh.
>> It's the person that he is inside.
>> Okay.
>> When I met him, I could definitely tell
this is a man who loves God, who is
after God's own heart. And for me,
that's a big thing that I wanted in the
person I spend the rest of my life with.
He's very intelligent, very smart. And
he has a purpose. I think it's very
important to be with someone who has a
purpose because I have a purpose. I know
what I'm doing. I've been doing it for a
while. And if you're not coming to add
to it, then why are we together? And if
I'm not coming to add to what you have
as well. So, that is what made me to be
with Isaya. And I really believe he's
the one who God had kept for me.
>> Yeah.
>> Has anything changed from Miss to Mrs.?
>> Um
I don't know. Let's see how it goes.
It's just been 2 weeks.
>> Oh, yeah. Still honeymoon.
>> Yeah, so let's see how it goes. Maybe
you look for me, I give you a second
interview on that one.
>> I'm looking. Let's say 3 months
probation and then we see.
>> That's perfect.
>> Yeah. All right, Charlene. Thank you so
much for talking to us and enjoy your
evening.
>> Thank you and you, too. Thank you.
>> [bell]