–even after pageant is over

CONTESTANTS of the ‘I Am a Big Deal’ beauty pageant are expected to bring a renewed awareness to several social issues during a keenly-contested competition scheduled for last night at the Albion Sports Complex on the Corentyne.

The lasses, who are all drawn from various areas in the Berbice County, paid a courtesy call on Police Divisional Commander Lindon Alves, and after giving him a synopsis of their respective platforms, were encouraged to work collectively after the pageantry, so as to have a reduction of the social ills, which are plaguing the society.

“You can impact positively on the lives of the citizenry,” he told them. “I am looking forward to collaborating with you. From here we can have a model, and, having created a pilot project, we can have similar programmes rolled out in other parts of the country.”
Among issues the girls will be addressing, which in some cases are drawn from personal experiences, are domestic violence, child abuse, mental health, and education among youths.

Those contesting the pageant are: LaToya Williamson, Shaquilla Sharpe, Kelisha Ramoutar, Farah Bates, Tracy Griffith, Atasha Pantlitz, Jinnel Walker, Seeta Dallo, Denicia Henry, Tatiana Lancaster and Chelcia Gobin.
The event is being organised by media personalities, Royston Drakes and his wife, Tracy Khan-Drakes.