Newly-selected Miss Guyana World 2013 Ruqayyah Boyer yesterday hosted an interactive session on ‘Bullying and Domestic Violence’ for first and second formers at the St Stanislaus College as part of the ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ element of the Miss World pageant.
Boyer, along with representatives from the S4 Foundation, Caribbean American Domestic Violence Awareness Group (CADVA) and the Irene Madray Recreational Arts and Resources Centre (IMRARC) addressed the students on issues surrounding the different types of bullying and gender-based violence.
S4 Foundation Programme Coordinator Imarah Radix, a former victim of bullying, shared her personal story with the children and encouraged them to speak out if they know anyone who is being bullied or if they themselves have ever been victims of bullying or gender-based violence. Radix is also a former Miss Guyana World and represented Guyana in 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Boyer, who is an ambassador for CADVA and IMRARC, said the issue of bullying is not really addressed in Guyana and so she wanted to address with students how it can have a negative impact on them.
Boyer also noted that the purpose charity is part of the requirements of the Miss World Organisation. It involves contestants using their opportunities to make a real and lasting contribution to the lives of others, particularly the less fortunate. The contestant whose charitable work earns the judges’ nod is guaranteed a place in the semifinal of the Miss World Pageant.
Boyer will be doing a series of activities and plans to visit 15 schools across Guyana—5 nursery, 5 primary and 5 secondary—for interactive sessions on bullying and violence.
On Sunday, she will also be volunteering at a community outreach programme hosted by Operation Dream Catchers from the USA in Cane Grove, Mahaica.
