The seven ladies who are vying for the crown of Miss Guyana World 2011 had the opportunity to introduce themselves at the launch of the Pageant on Friday evening at the Roraima Duke Lodge.
What some described as an “event of simplicity” was off to a late start, 1 hour and 45 minutes to be exact, but it gave patrons the opportunity to get familiar with the faces and personalities of the delegates: Ruquayyah Boyer, Arti Cameron, Siestra Allen, Utieka John, Celeste Dolphin, Shanessa James and Soyini Fraser.
Sadly for the youngest delegate, 17-year-old Shanessa, the setting might have been a bit too intimidating as the obviously nervous teen failed to deliver her introduction after three attempts. However, James still received overwhelming feedback and managed to maintain her bright smile.
Except for Celeste, the ladies were decked out in short, purple dresses designed by Randy Madray, who along with Sharon Gittens, had their fashion lines briefly displayed.
Franchise holder and Organizer Nicosia Holland, during her address, commended the ambitious young women for taking leadership roles as outstanding Guyanese beauties who, she described, as over-achievers.
Holland further stated that the delegates, including locally, Australian, Barbadian and USA-based Guyanese women, are ideal candidates as competitors for the Miss Guyana World crown and ambassadors for this country.
She recalled in 1967, when Shakira Baksh, a stunning Guya-nese beauty, placed third in the Miss World Pageant in London, England. With the pageant being held in London once again this year, Holland said the Miss Guyana World delegates are capable of mirroring or repeating Baksh’s feat.
“We, the Miss Guyana World Pageant Committee, are not here to compete or to overthrow and we are certainly not here to follow. We are blazing a new trail,” Holland noted.
Meanwhile, Judy Semple congratulated the organizers and took pride in the fact that presently, despite a number of pageants being held throughout Guyana, there is still one that can focus on the empowerment of women and encouraging women to be the best they can be. Semple encouraged and challenged the seven delegates to “live their best life” and to define what that best life is.
She then shared the thought, “Women are like teabags, we can only discover the strength of a teabag when we put it in hot water” and later told a story with the moral to never underestimate to power of a woman.
US-based Guyanese Livya Prescott entertained the audience with two songs. Also singing was Abigail Jeffrey.
The pageant is slated for July 31 at the National Cultural Centre while the swimsuit event will be held at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel on July 22.
The Caribbean Leader Corpo-ration (CLC) will be broadcasting the events across the Caribbean.
Among the supporters of the Miss Guyana World pageant 2011 are Aracari Resort, Arrowpoint Nature Resort, Obrey’s Photo Studio, Body Line Gym, Captain Gerald Gouveia, Designer Randy Madray, GT Magazine, Judy Semple, Leisure Inn, Magic Fingers Salon, Minister Priya Manickchand, Alfred King, Nigel Hughes, the National Cultural Centre, Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, President Bharrat Jagdeo, Roraima Duke Lodge, Roraima Group of Companies and Splashmins Fun Park.
