By Femi Harris
Seventeen year-old Tanya Wilson emerged the winner in a recently held Miss African Heritage Pageant which saw contestants from several East Coast Demerara villages participating.
The queen, who hails from the village of Mahaicony, has won for herself $100,000 cash and a number of consolation prizes. She outshone her six competitors at the pageant which was held at Punter’s Place, Ann’s Grove on August 13.
In a recent interview with The Scene, the well-spoken Wilson said that from the inception she knew victory belonged to her as she realized she had the edge over the other girls in the key areas of “beauty and brains.”
Wilson was tasked with the responsibility of researching the life, music and legacy of Bob Marley, which formed her platform. This, she said, was informative as she uncovered many facts about the legend of which she had no previous knowledge.
In responding to the winning question of the intelligence segment that made her the undisputed winner, the young woman said that if she were to, “bring back a person form history,” she would opt for late President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, as he would ensure free education from nursery to university… the rebirth of the National Service so that there would be a reduction in delinquency” and “would create new jobs and opportunities for unemployed persons, especially in the agricultural sector.” Having won this contest, the queen said that she plans to participate in the Ms Guyana Talented Teen and Ms Guyana Universe pageants. By doing so, she said her self esteem and confidence would be greatly boosted.
When not in the classroom or modelling, Wilson’s favourite pastimes include dancing, reading, interacting with children and writing poems.
She said that from the age of five, she enjoyed strutting her stuff in the living room of her home which she made her little stage, and she knew that she was destined to participate in pageants and to model. She added that after recognizing her abilities and given the overwhelming support of her family she decided to give it a try.
No stranger to pageantry, the winner told The Scene that not once did she find training in preparation for competition night to be burdensome. Wilson was the winner in the Miss Mahaicony Berbice pageant and reigned for three years from 2007 to 2010.
Ruschelle Gittens, Leislian Felix and Melissa London were the first, second and third runners-up respectively.
Meanwhile, Shauna Jemmott, coordinator of the pageant and former 1999 Miss Guyana African Heritage Queen said that having participated in an African heritage pageant herself, she decided to expose the girls to it as well.
She said that the pageant which coincided with emancipation celebrations and was timely in commorating African heritage comprised girls who emerged as queens of thier villages in a recently held Ms East Coast pageant.
The coordinator noted that she learnt a great deal about African history and the contributions made by Africans to the development of society in the course of her pageant experience, and since much is to be desired in respect of the knowledge base of young people in the field of history, she thought it a good idea to have the young women participate in the pageant.
The theme of the pageant, ‘Rise Above,’ was selected by the coordinator, who said that it represents a much needed ‘rise’ by all to appreciate African culture and history. She highlighted too that it represents a victory for African fore-parents who, in the face of adversity were determined to rise above all odds in making a difference and a better place for us today.
Admitting to The Scene that the pageant has cost her financially, the coordinator said that she can look far beyond the monetary expenses, knowing that her true satisfaction derives from making a positive impact in the life of the young women, and contributing to their acquisition of knowledge.
Three of the seven contestants were sponsored though it proved difficult to solicit sponsors for the others, she said.
The seven contestants were Tanya Wilson, Ruschelle Gittens, Leislian Felix, Melissa London, Zineoby Ward, Shantel Bastiani and Tiffany Shortt from Mahaicony, Melanie, Ann’s Grove, Buxton, Enmore, Golden Grove and Ogle respectively.
They appeared in the opening sequence consisting of an African dance; an elocution segment; a talent segment consisting of individual pieces showcasing their talent; and the creative casual segment, which required them to create a piece of casual clothing from tie-die cloth or African prints.
Shauna said that since the girls may have aspirations to take up international pageantry, she ensured that a certain standard was maintained. She said that they underwent a rigorous training programme in the areas of posture, modelling and oral delivery.
The coordinator told The Scene that having been encouraged by the standards achieved in the pageant, she intends to make the event an annual one.