–a powerful message from Miss Teen India, who’s been finding helping others to be very rewarding since taking the coveted title

A LITTLE act of benevolence can go a long way in improving someone’s life, even in the slightest way, and while everyone at some point in time practises kindness, there are some, such as models, who could use their platform and title to do this regularly.

In just one year of being Guyana first’s Miss Teen India, 18-year-old Yashmini Amisha Sarjoo has used her title and platform to do just that, by touching the lives of many vulnerable persons and sharing kindness where possible.

She believes a coveted title should not just be used for fame, but as a springboard for addressing social ills, and improving people’s lives, even in the smallest way.
Reflecting on her journey, which started in early 2019, Yashmini said she has managed to bring smiles to the faces of many vulnerable people.

“During my one year, not only have I managed to bring smiles to the faces of the less fortunate, but I was also able to bond with people throughout the country who have been offering their tremendous support throughout my journey,” said the young beauty queen.
She has been able to reach out to many families and orphanages, which were not well off, to offer her assistance.

On the subject of her love for philanthropy, she said: “Doing charity work is something I’m indeed passionate about, and I am extremely thankful that I was warmly welcomed by these families. Apart from doing charity work, I was able to use my title to advocate for young people who are suffering from low self-esteem.

“This has always been a problem in today’s society, since youths tend to compare their physical appearance to those who are highly-favoured on social media. Thankfully, I was able to reach out to many young persons across Guyana via social media, by doing short posts, or even interacting personally with some of them.”

LOVE OF SELF
The model strongly believes that young people question their identity because of what they see on social media, but she reminded persons that this should not be the case, as people must learn to love themselves and embrace their flaws.

“No one is perfect; having acne, scars, being dark, being slim or being fat doesn’t make you ugly,” she said. “We are all beautiful individuals with our own specialty. Learn to love yourself, and value the person you are; don’t ever let anyone determine your worth or dull your chrome.”

Even she has had to put into practice what she has been trying to inculcate in others, as her journey taught her a lot about stepping out of her comfort zone and embracing every challenge that presents itself.
Pageantry was something she never dreamt of doing, so she was skeptical at first, since she had never entered a pageant before.

“This was definitely a challenging journey for me as an 18-year-old, who was never exposed to pageantry. One of the most difficult things to adapt to was attending numerous events in one day, and wearing heels throughout,” Yashmini said.

“Of course, I was very uncomfortable, since it was all new to me. And, yes, I did judge myself whether I would be able to do it or not, but I didn’t give up; I gave it my best, and now I’m very much comfortable with all of this,” she added.

NO EASY TASK
Stepping out of her comfort zone was evidently not an easy task, but she managed to do it, and with this experience, she plans to coach persons, particularly future models, to believe in themselves, and overcome imminent and existing challenges.

In what she believes is a snippet of the bigger message, Yashmini said: “There are times when we will feel as though our life is falling apart, but you need to stay strong and pull yourself together, because sometimes you won’t have a shoulder to lean on, and then is when you’ll have to learn to cope with your situations by yourself, and rise even stronger.
“Love yourself, and believe in each step that you take, and don’t ever let anyone’s negativity make you think poorly of yourself. Instead, use that as a booster to do better, and prove their judgements wrong.”

And, apart from loving themselves, Yashmini strongly believes that models, and every woman for that matter, should help other females to rise, as in doing so, persons will desist from thinking they are better than others, and instead use their title or position to make others feel valuable and appreciated.

Just as she is advising persons to help others, Sarjoo said she couldn’t achieve her goals without the help of her parents and other supporters. And on that score, she’d like to take the opportunity to thank her directors, Hashim Ali and Melicia Partab Alli; Amrita Jaikaran; Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Trishala Persaud; Ravi Latchman; and the management of Amanda’s Bridal and Muneshwar’s Travel Agency for helping her along the way.