Accra, (Greater Accra) 10 Jan. '99,

Ms Roshone Cassandra Ault, Miss Africa / United States, today paid a courtesy call on Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), as part of her two-week tour of the country. An undergraduate student of law at Syracuse University in New York, Ms Ault yesterday called on President Jerry John Rawlings and visited the Dubois Centre, Nkrumah Mausoleum and was part of the celebration of the Sixth Anniversary of the Fourth Republic. Miss Ault, said her visit was sponsored by the International Woode Foundation, which organises the pageant every year to help promote African culture in the Diaspora. The foundation was established in 1993 by Dr. Harold Afiriye in memory of his mother Sarah Woode to foster and motivate young people with skills in science, mathematics and engineering. The foundation also offers scholarships each year to high school and university students. ''The pageant is, therefore, organised every year to promote and boost the work and achievement of the foundation'', she said. The pageant also helps and motivates young African Americans to ''really understand what African culture means''. She said beauty pageants should not only be about beauty, but experiences and academics. Miss Ault encouraged the youth to take part in beauty pageants to portray African womanhood. Nana Akuoko Sarpong, said he was happy the beauty queen chose Ghana because of the high profile and the good relationship Ghana has with the United States. He expressed his appreciation to the foundation, which made the visit possible adding, '' when you go back, you will project the good image of Ghana and Africa as a whole". The beauty queen will also visit the Asantehene's Palace, Akosombo dam and Dodi Island among other places. GRi