Karishma Koellin (18, first-year student of International Business and Management Studies) has actually never been to India herself, but the country of her great-grandparents is deeply rooted in her DNA. Deeper even than Suriname, the country to which her great-grandparents emigrated and from which later generations of her family settled in the Netherlands.

‘In terms of eating habits, cultural traditions and religion, we mainly revert to our Indian roots at home,’ says Karishma. ‘That’s an important part of my identity.’

Glass ceiling

The Miss Indian Beauty competition was a platform for the student to display that identity. ‘I also used the competition as an opportunity to further develop myself. As well as supplying a photo and your measurements when registering, you also had to say what kind of work you’d like to do. My personal campaign was about breaking through the glass ceiling.’

Karishma wrote her profile paper on this subject. ‘Why have we never had a female prime minister? Why do women with the same qualifications as men often earn less? This has always puzzled me very much. A new generation of leaders has to make improvements in this respect, and I, as a future manager, hope to make my own contribution.’

Water pump

That Karishma was chosen as Miss Indian Beauty Charity 2017 fills her with great satisfaction. ‘This was the category I really wanted to win. I want to use my new position to work for others, which I’ve always done, actually. The biggest project I’m currently working on is providing a water pump for the Dahanu district in India. I’m doing this in collaboration with the Chietsana Foundation, founded by the Charity Queen of 2016. Of the 10,000 euros needed for this, my colleague Princess Charity and I must raise around 2,700 euros by September. I’m sure we will make it, and my knowledge of marketing is bound to come in handy.’

In September, Karishma will visit the district of Dahanu in her capacity as Miss Charity to attend the putting into use of the water pump. ‘But my work doesn’t end there. In addition to the water pump, there are other, smaller charity projects for which I’d like to work until the end of the year.’

Text: Esmé van der Molen
Photo: Khalid Jahangier Photography