TWENTY-TWO-year-old Jamicia McCalman has taken up the mantle to combat sexual violence in Guyana, through a campaign project she named ‘Project SEE – Save, Eliminate and Educate’.

McCalman is a candidate in the Miss World Guyana 2020 pageant, and is using the platform to champion a cause that she holds close to her heart.

The young woman said that she wanted to take her activism beyond the realms of just social media, and given that she too suffered sexual violence during her growing years, she believes that with the Miss World Guyana platform, she can bring light to others.
“Under the flagship of the Heart to Art Foundation, a non-governmental organization I founded in 2018, that uses art advocacy and activism to address issues such as mental health, gender-based violence, youth development, come Project SEE. This project addresses the issue of sexual violence and its effect on your mental health and well-being,” McCalman said at her project launch.

She opened up about the sexual violence she endured as a child, and how it affected her mental health. Because of her experience, McCalman said that she is the evidence that proves sexual violence has an effect on your mental health.
“I was victimized and cast aside by many… But I am the representation of what it means to be broken and not destroyed,” the young woman said.

Referencing the popular saying ‘hurt people, hurt people’, she further stated “I want to shift that narrative. I believe that hurt people who have been healed, have the capacity to help others to heal.”

It is with that belief, McCalman is carrying out this initiative to make a difference in the lives of many.

Explaining her project approach, she said that to save and eliminate, education from the bottom-up approach is required.

“…more talk and twice as much action is needed. Project SEE aims to systematically address and delve into the pervasive issue of sexual violence and its profound impact on your mental health and well-being. Teens and young adults will continue to be educated about preventative measures that can be taken to protect themselves from sexual violence,” McCalman said.

This, she explained, will be done through outreach in schools, providing youths with coping mechanisms that provide and direct the sources that can help them heal from the mental scars or trauma of sexual violence.

“Ultimately, the work of Project SEE will ensure that within the next year, sufficient funds are available to establish the first safe developmental hub for families and victims of sexual violence, starting in Region 4… This will be done through collaboration with government, civil society, religious organisations, and the private sector,” McCalman said.