–says franchise holder, Natasha Martindale

MISS World Guyana is determined to keep the pageant unique, using standards set by Miss World International.
That’s the word from franchise holder, Ms Natasha Martindale. And that is why, she said, she is concerned that some local pageant coordinators with other international franchises have added sequences Miss World is known for, even though such sequences are not part of those other international contests.

Over the years, Guyana has stood out in four of the five segments, but the country is yet to produce a queen to shine in the Miss World International Top Model Sequence of competition.
While Miss World Guyana does not feature a platform sequence, the organisation views as critical the ‘Beauty With a Purpose’ with their queens taking their BWP campaigns off- state to make lifetime impressions and changes in Guyana.
Lisa Punch and POTS Guyana have been making strides in their anti-suicide campaign in schools throughout Guyana and even though the organization is operating with very little funding, the queen and her team remain dedicated to saving lives through awareness and counseling.

“Platforms to me are a topic to be spoken about. Beauty with a purpose is strictly project related — is it not about saying or talking about a specific cause but rather showing what you have done or is doing to make a difference in the world. It is a campaign — a tangible and beneficial community project and the Miss World competition is the only pageant system that has created it and actually made it a significant segment of its entire competition,” Martindale explained to Pepperpot Magazine.

She said too that the ‘sports and fitness’ competition is unique to Miss World as “Miss Word remains the only pageant system that offers a Fitness & Sports competition.”
Martindale said she does not want any other pageant brand to be confused locally with Miss World and as such her organization Majesty International is sticking to protocols and advising other pageants to do the same.
Missworld.org says the winner of the international contest is the queen with the highest overall points and she must be a well-rounded Queen to wear the crown of prestige.

“To win Miss World you must score the highest points awarded for a range of activities and events which take place from the moment the contestants arrive at the competition. Five challenge events take place in the run up to the final; Beauty with a Purpose, Multimedia, Sports, Talent, and Top Model. These offer the chance for the contestants to shine, giving them the opportunity to win important points,” the pageant website states.
Guyana won the Talent contest in 2015 with singing sensation Lisa Punch wooing the hearts of judges and all to arrive undisputed on top, and becoming a Miss World finalist. She also placed in the Beauty with a Purpose sequence.

Other local queens, including Arti Cameron and Althea Shepherd have also placed in the Multi-media, Sports and Fitness, and Beauty with a purpose segments.
Fourteen beauties have started competition for the Miss World Guyana crown, and a Coronation event on June 25 will be the event to welcome a new beginning for one outstanding girl who will be crowned Queen, and win an opportunity to compete against more than 80 other queens internationally at Miss World in China in December 2017.

On April 30, the semi-finalists each presented their ‘Beauty with a purpose’ project at a fair and will on May 31 participate in a shared national campaign dubbed “Self-Love GY”. After that event, ten of the contestants will be selected, each to represent an administrative region, and the finals will begin officially, where delegates will be judged continuously – at every appearance.

The semi-finalists are Ashana Carrington, Nitifah Thompson, Alieca James, Sharda Pramdeo, Hemwantie Seodat, Ariell Ghanie, Nikesia Hussain, Thamesha Watson, Maria Fletcher, Vena Mookram, Manisha Mai-Lee Wong, Crystal Wills, Delisha Wright and Joelly Valentine.