
Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005, at the SOS Children's Village Managua - Photo: S. Beer
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Last year, as Miss Canada, the current Miss Universe, visited this village in Nicaragua, and in view of the affection received, she promised to come again if she won the pageant. She did on the first days of March.
Even before her arrival, the village was in a buzz. On one side, the SOS mothers were preparing the kiosk, and on the other, the children from the village and the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School Managua, next door, joined the welcome committee.
At 11.30 am, Miss Universe arrived. The children were extremely excited and kept calling "Natalie! Natalie!" Those who were in school tried to get an autograph in their notebooks. Smiling Natalie complied every time she could, as the crowd of children and press allowed her little space to walk.

With one of the girls from the village - Photo: S. Beer
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The programme was rather short, but there was enough time to have the President of SOS Children's Villages Nicaragua and Chepita, an SOS mother, to welcome and thank Natalie Glebova for the visit. As she doesn't speak Spanish, her Nicaraguan promoter interpreted for her, but this did not make her less popular with the crowd.
A group of five girls from the village performed a folkloric dance for her, after which she said, "I am very happy to be here again, keeping the promise that I made to the children one year ago." She continued by thanking SOS Children's Villages for its work in Nicaragua. As soon as the protocol ceremony finished, Miss Universe took a snack with the children and had fun breaking a "piƱata" and dancing, especially with a group of girls who spontaneously joined her.