Tonight, the 11 contestants of this year’s Miss Earth Guyana pageant will be formally sashed at the Theatre Guild.
The pageant this year will follow the theme ‘Flora in Guyana’ and will see the young women representing flowers from all across Guyana as they advocate for the protection and preservation of the environment through their Beauty with a Cause Project.
The Scene takes the opportunity to introduce them:
Faydeha King: Faydeha, 26, who is also the reigning Miss Black San International, said, “I have chosen this pageant because of my determined spirit, my pageant experiences and the way I’ve represented myself, my community and my country. I want to be Miss Guyana Earth 2019 because I believe that Mother Earth has so much to offer. It just takes someone who has the guts to make a move and lead our generation, to show how taking care and appreciating our environment can be beautiful.”
The Corriverton beauty has taken on the ‘iPlant’ strategy that will educate the public and inspire them to take on the green economy project while taking the opportunity to beautify the earth in the planting of trees.
Born under the sign of Aquarius, Faydeha enjoys nature walks, reading, discovering and quiet time to let her imagination run free. Her favourite colours are purple and yellow. Her favourite dishes are spicy bunjal curry, karila, pumpkin, roti and cook-up.
Amelia Bakhsh: Twenty-one-year-old Amelia hails from Good Hope. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of a pageant, but I think it’s something that deserves a level of maturity and determination that I believe I now possess. This is my endeavour,” she said. She noted that her love for nature motivates her into want to making difference when it comes to preserving Guyana and she certainly believes that is what is required of a queen.
Amelia has will be focused on the 4R-PLUS, which is reduce, reuse, recycle and respect- preserve, learn, unite and self-awareness. This initiative was designed with the objective of bringing youths together to promote environmental sustainability while learning and becoming self-aware. The young Libra loves the colour blue. Her favourite dish is chowmein.
Kataina Phillips: “I chose to participate in this pageant because it’s an international pageant that gives us the opportunity to create our own platform to target issues that affect nature. With this, I’m able to play my part in protecting and caring for our planet, just as our body is the only place our spirit has to live in, planet earth is the only planet we have to live on. Hence, we should protect and keep it clean at all costs, and by being a part of this pageant I get to play my part in making our planet litter free. I’m passionate about nature and I believe becoming the next Miss Earth Guyana will give me the opportunity to help in transforming the world with my platform.”
Twenty-three-year-old Kataina, who resides in D’Urban Street, Georgetown will be focusing her energies on ‘Protecting our Planet against Land Pollution’ (POPALP) – Even though it’s not the only pollution our planet is greatly affected by, it’s one area she wants to be able to target effectively and efficiently.
An Aries, Kataina loves to eat chowmein, steamed vegetables, beans and vegetable rice. She likes the colour blue.
Her hobbies include reading, writing short stories and poems, going on adventure trips, cooking and playing cricket.
Cintiana Harry: Cintiana is last year’s Miss Berbice ‘I’m A Big Deal’ first runner-up. The 26-year-old stunner who hails from Kilcoy/ Chesney, Corentyne will be tackling ‘Recycle4us’. The initiative promotes environmental stewardship through education and cooperation on a community level.
Cintiana said she decided to get involved in this pageant because she sees herself as a determined and driven environmental steward who wishes to work towards the preservation of the earth for the next generation.
Her astrological sign is Aries and she loves the colour red. Her favourite dish is pumpkin and roti. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, working out, modelling, dancing, reading and writing short stories and poems.
Annessa Van Sluytman: Nineteen-year-old Annessa belongs to the village of Industry. She said, “My project is the alternative use of rice hulls [husks] in the construction of wood laminate floors in order to decrease their polluting effect on the environment and also to reduce the need for wood from trees. I believe that this has application can work in Guyana where rice husks are seen as a waste product from rice mills and where it is disposed of by burning mostly. It is also left in big piles behind the rice mills and not only does it look untidy but also pollutes and can cause breathing problems for anyone coming near it. The technology of using the rice hulls in laminate floor construction already exists and introducing it to Guyana would greatly reduce the pollution from rice hulls and also decrease the demand for hardwoods from trees in the forest. This saves the trees and allows for another way to protect the environment.”
The teen said that growing up she had always been fascinated with pageantry and her love for nature led to her choosing the Miss Earth Guyana Pageant.
This Virgo is passionate about learning new languages and dancing. She loves a mean hamburger. Her favourite colour is pink.
Selena Guyadeen: Selena is a 19-year-old beauty who hails from Goed Fortuin on the West Bank of Demerara. For her project Selena will be looking at the disharmony of the environment. The harmony between humans and the environment she said is corrupted. Therefore, she hopes to create a harmonious atmosphere where both trees and humans can flourish.
“I not only have the qualities in bettering my beautiful Guyana but to also help my fellow Guyanese to learn about protecting our earth. We cannot just sit and expect stuff to be done for mother earth but to also get up and help in doing so and not just by giving orders. I choose to participate because I read about it and then wondered to myself, if so many young females could do it why can’t a normal girl do it,” she said. Having been inspired by the pageantry she hopes to be an inspiration to young women who have the dreams but lack the courage of living them.
Being a foodie Selena loves eating seven curry, channa with potato curry, pumpkin, spinach,
katahar, coconut choka and baigan along with chutney and some rice.
Her hobbies include travelling, reading and she loves trying out new things. Her favourite colour is black.
Maricia Meusa: “I entered the Miss Earth Guyana 2019 pageant as I recently became interested in ways that I can help in making Guyana a cleaner and healthier nation. I believe that being the next Miss Earth Guyana with my Beauty for a Cause will help me to get my message across and advocate for a cleaner, greener Guyana with specific focus on mangroves restoration. [My project] will protect the mangroves by organizing a campaign which is going to aid in protection of the mangroves and providing information about how they protect the coastline and people,” 19-year-old Maricia said.
The North/East La Penitence beauty enjoys reading and making new friends.
Maricia loves eating ochro. Her two favourite colours are royal purple and bright yellow.
Sasha Ramsarran: Twenty-two-year-old Sasha Ramsarran hails from New Amsterdam, Berbice. She will be highlighting for her project, the issue of deforestation in Guyana and its potential and existing impacts on the biodiversity of flora and fauna.
Asked why she should become the next Miss Earth Guyana, she responded, “I’d like to preface my answer by saying it’s not what the pageant can do for you but what you can do for the pageant. I’d like to win Miss Earth Guyana because such a title will give me the international platform to advocate a cause that I’m passionate about. Furthermore, it will give me an opportunity to become an ambassador for Guyana and all that we have to offer. Guyana has often been regarded as the hidden gem of South America, but I believe that the time has come for Guyana to be ushered into the limelight, highlighting the unique treasures of nature that we possess, some of which … cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
“[The] project aspect of Miss Earth Guyana was the driving force behind my decision to be a part of this pageant. This aspect of the pageant distinguishes it from the rest. As a biology student, I have a love for nature and the Miss Earth Pageant provides a platform to advocate for a cause that you are passionate about, with regard to prominent environmental issues that are ongoing in Guyana. It gives you a voice and the opportunity to be heard, while at the same time focusing on and developing personal skills such as public speaking and interaction as well as confidence and poise.”
A Libra, Sasha loves to read. Her favourite colour is turquoise while her favourite on the side of food is chowmein.
Phelicia Adams: Phelicia,18, is the youngest contestant. She hails from Parika and wants to be an ambassador for Guyana and an inspiration to others. She believes she is the perfect candidate to be chosen to represent Guyana.
This Scorpio enjoys dancing, singing, knitting, socializing and listening to music, especially her favourite singer August Alsina.
Her favourite dishes to have are baked macaroni and cheese, pizza and pepperpot. She loves the colour pink.
Sunita Sears: A 19-year-old Bare Root resident, Sunita chose to become a contestant of the pageant because she wants to bring awareness to the 3Rs – reduce, recycle and reuse. She is hoping also that her involvement makes her a positive role models for the younger ones looking on.
“I strongly believe I should become the next Miss Earth Guyana, because I will be able to assist Guyana and encourage the future generations by demonstrating appreciation for nature. My [Beauty with a Cause] project is to improve the improper disposal of non-biodegradable waste. Recycling is crucial and even the smallest step can have significant benefits for the environment,” she said.
Sunita’s hobbies are singing, dancing, swimming and socializing. Her favourite foods to have are cook-up rice, pepperpot and fried rice. Her astrological sign is Cancer.
Vashti Jagdai: Vashti hails from Bloomfield Village in Berbice. Having always wanted to experience what it feels like to be queen, Vashti signed up for the pageant. Being someone who cares about the environment and wants to be involved in making the earth a cleaner and healthier place for all, she believes she should be the next Miss Earth Guyana. She will be addressing the 3Rs for her project.
This Scorpio loves eating dhal and rice. Her favourite colour is black. Vashti likes to sing and dance.
The night promises a series of performances from the likes of Tiffani Bonner, A W Lyrical, Mr African Guyana Roots – Eon Peters, Dynamic Tassa Troupe among others.
Miss Earth Guyana 2019 is sponsored by DemBake, Nand Persaud Group (Guyana), Precise Printing and Stationery Supplies and Massy Stores Guyana and partnered by: Who’s Who in Guyana Business, Makeup Glamour, Marsae, Java Coffee Bar, Ministry of Social Protection and Dynamic Tassa Troupe.
The show begins at 6.30 pm. Tickets cost $1,500 or $2,000 at the door.
