The Miss Carriacou and Petite Martinique Queen contestant, Sashelle Alves, has topped the Beauty with a Purpose initiative judged on Saturday, 20 July at the Olympic House, Morne Rouge. Her platform focused on ending violence against women and girls, which saw her carry out several awareness initiatives on her home island of Carriacou days before Hurricane Beryl ravaged the island. All seven carnival queen contestants presented their chosen platforms that had a meaningful impact on their communities.
“The Beauty with a Purpose initiative aimed to have the delegates make a positive difference through their role as ambassadors,” stated Tessa McQuicklin, Chair of the National Carnival Queen Show Committee. “As delegates, they embarked on a journey and should not only be seen as beauties or queens, but as advocates for social change. The contestants, through this initiative, were expected to have a voice. A voice that brought awareness to issues of contemporary interest.”
Alves advocated for ending violence among women and girls through school visits reaching 900 students in primary and secondary schools in Carriacou & Petite Martinique; hosted a workshop for 50 people; addressed government officials at a town hall meeting; gathered information with an online woman and girls safety survey; and started an online fundraising initiative for emergency supplies for victims of violence.
The competition, which does not count towards final scores on queen show night, saw each queen contestant presenting reasons for choosing their initiatives and describing how they publicised it. A 3-minute video complemented their presentations. They were judged based on their clarity and impact.
The platforms by the seven National Carnival Queen Contestants ranged in topics:
- Ms. St. George Abigail Jeffery – Holistic Development
- Ms. St. Mark Alorna Felix – The Preservation, Conservation, and Promotion of the Natural Beauty of the Environment
- Miss St. David Heidi Charles: Youth for Calypso
- Miss Carriacou & Petite Martinique Sashelle Alves: Ending Violence Against Women & Girls
- Miss St. Patrick Angel Franklyn: Art Therapy
- Miss St. Andrew Kenya Alexander: Fit Path
- Miss St. John Abeni Matthew: The Kindness Campaign
The Spicemas Corporation congratulates all contestants for their outstanding contributions and initiatives which promoted social change and awareness in Grenada. A special prize will be awarded to Sashelle Alves, the winner of the Beauty with a Purpose initiative, on the night of the National Carnival Queen Pageant, which will be held on Carnival Thursday, 8 August 2024 at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium.
Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zW3mXmXtZDBTB1ZP-__mzNVIOBPF0a12/view?usp=sharing