Miss Guyana Earth…
ON JUNE 26, seven beautiful young Guyanese women will battle for the crown in the first ever Miss Guyana Earth pageant. The Guyana Chronicle had a chat with the contestants and the following is what they had to say about themselves, the event, and their respective platforms: Marcia is a 23-year-old vegan whose favourite food is pizza. Her interests include reading, travelling, basketball, table tennis and squash.

Born under the sign of Scorpio, pageantry always had a place in her heart. So how did she become a delegate in the first ever Miss Guyana Earth?

Marcia says that her boss, who knew of her interest in pageantry, one day introduced her to the Executive Director of the pageant, Ms. Pamela Dillon, who urged her to enter. From that day on, there was no turning back for her. “It was the first step to my dream,” she says. 

Talking about how she manages balancing work, rehearsals and gym sessions, she says entering the pageant has been a challenging and invigorating experience that will be sorely missed when it is all over.

Using her platform of ‘Sustainable Logging’ to bring attention to safe logging practices, she is currently working on an infomercial to educate the public about safe logging practices, and says that she will continue promoting this cause, even after the   pageant.

She advises other young women to pursue their dreams, as “you have one life to live.” She also advocates we all as Guyanese practise taking care of Mother Earth. 

This Aquarius born 22-year-old likes to read, listen to music, travel and spend quality time with friends and family.

The Georgetown-born-and-bred beauty, whose favourite dish is fried rice, entered the pageant after spotting an advertisement in a local newspaper.

For her, one of the greatest challenges of being in a beauty pageant is adapting to the regal posture and strut that is so necessary to this type of competition. “The steps are completely different: How to walk, how to pose, how to groom…” she explained. She expressed relief that another one of the greatest challenges of the pageant, the ‘Q&A’ segment, is over.

How will she use her platform, ‘Responsible Garbage Disposal’, to help curb environmental hazards? She says that she is working towards sensitising persons about littering, and believes that the $10,000 fine is not enough and should be increased.

Her advice to other young women is: “Follow your heart, as no one can decide for you.”

Modeling, travelling and surfing are listed among the hobbies of this 21-year-old Aquarian.

The Georgetown, South Ruimveldt beauty, whose favourite dish is the ubiquitous ‘cook-up-rice’, says that she entered the pageant because it was the first ever of its kind, and she was desirous of being the first ever ambassador of  Guyana for  this type of pageantry.

Velisha says that preparing for the pageant has so far been challenging. She admits that she didn’t know what to expect, but says that she has learnt a lot from the other contestants.

Velisha, whose platform is ‘Renewable Energy’, says that as a queen, she would promote hydropower, reputedly the world’s fastest-growing source of energy, as an important cause, and also Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which she says is complementary to this cause.  

Her advice to other young women is: “Follow your dreams; put your best foot forward; and don’t ever give up.”

Born under the Leo star, Shellon likes modelling, interacting with people around the world, and listening to hip-hop and soul music.

Shellon, who was born in Georgetown but raised briefly in Mahaicony and is now back in the city, says her favourite dish is dhal and rice.

The 22-year-old says that she entered the Miss Guyana Earth pageants out of curiosity, and a desire to be an ambassador for Guyana.

So far, the experience has been a challenging one, she says, citing its being her first pageant as the main reason. But she is working very hard to overcome these challenges.

Her platform is ‘Using Plastics Wisely’, and she advises Guyanese to use less plastics and to recycle. Shellon is currently working on an ‘ad’ for this project. She advises persons to take up the cause of the environment and to be good ambassadors for their country.

Her advice to other young women is: “You have to be humble, you have to be a responsible person, and your personality tells a lot [about you’.”

This Aries-born 20-year-old likes to read, debate, sing, dance, write short stories and compose songs.

Hailed from Ann’s Grove on the East Coast Demerara, she likes to tempt her palate with Spanish rice and fried chicken with pine sauce.

Franele describes the Miss Guyana Earth pageant as one with a difference, and says she joined it because she doesn’t want to be “just another beauty,” but “a beauty with a cause.” She says that the pageant has been exciting and challenging for her so far.

Her biggest challenge, she says, was learning to walk with long strides when modeling  since she is the shortest of all the delegates. Also she says that she has learned to control her speech, since she believes that she is prone to talking too much and giving too much information.

She is currently working on a project called, ‘Project Clean Air’, and intends to do more to further this cause, whether she wins or not.

“A woman,” she says, “is a very remarkable creature; we have so much to do, that we forget to continue dreaming.”  Her advise to other young women is: “Don’t stop dreaming, and work hard. We as women can achieve anything we like.”

Working under the platform, ‘Reduction of Greenhouse Gases’, this 20-year-old Taurean  who hails from Prashad Nagar does not have a particular food as her favourite, but instead likes to try out new dishes.  

Soyini learned of the pageant through a friend, who called and told her about it. She looked on the Internet, filled out a form, and got a call “not long after” from a member of the  Miss Guyana Earth team, informing her that she had been shortlisted.

The first pageant that she’s ever been in, Soyini says that it is a decision that she does not regret. “We are always
encouraged, told not to take anything for granted,” she says, adding that it has had a positive impact on her self-image.

She says that her platform is particularly relevant to Guyanese, since the heat wave that we are currently experiencing is as a direct result of GHGs.

Her advice to fellow Guyanese is to use vehicles only when necessary. Currently, she is working on a project which involves the making and dissemination of educational manuals and bumper stickers.

Her advice to other young women is: “Keep your head up. Every Guyanese woman is a queen. Work on yourself, never take yourself for granted. And most importantly, don’t compare yourself to other people; you are an individual.”

This 19-year-old Leo is fond of fried-rice and chicken, “home-cooked,” she stresses.

But, is it home-cooked by her? Well, she laughs. “It can be home-cooked by somebody else, but it must be home-cooked.”

Coming from South Ruimveldt Park, she likes dancing, reading, surfing the Internet and socializing.

Kiswana learnt of the pageant after an advertisement caught her eye. She saw it as an opportunity to increase awareness about the earth.

For her, being in the pageant so far has been an “overwhelming experience.” Her project, based on her platform, ‘Embracing Controlled Logging’, is called: “A little goes a long way,” and she encourages consumers on the effective use of wood. Kiswana is also doing informative flyers and conducting workshops in schools. So far, being in the pageant has “unveiled the best in me,” she says.

For Kiswana, who is a pre-law student at the University of Guyana, the biggest challenge is working, studying and balancing pageant activities.

Her advice to other young women is: “Never limit yourself, you can, must and will achieve your goals if you set high standards.”