Beauty With A Purpose

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On Saturday, December 14, 2019, a native of St. Thomas, Jamaica, Toni- Ann Singh, stunned the world by capturing the coveted Miss World held in London. The 69th edition of the Miss World Beauty Pageant had 115 contestants. We all knew Toni-Ann was special. There was a buzz of excitement and anticipation leading up to her going to London for the Miss World.  She was a popular winner of the Miss Jamaica World beauty pageant earlier this year. Toni- Ann mesmerized the judges with her amazing voice after doing a rendition of Whitney Houston’s classic song “I Have Nothing”. The Jamaican beauty was stunning in her silver gown and walked away with the bejeweled blue crown which epitomizes beauty at the highest level. Toni- Ann's victory makes her the fourth Jamaican to have won the Miss World. Carole Joan Crawford in 1963, Cindy Breakspeare in 1976 and Lisa Hanna in 1993 are the others. Jamaica with a population of fewer than 3 million can now boast of having four Miss Worlds. This is an achievement.

Toni was a picture of beauty and confidence as she went through her talent section. She aced the interview section with such confidence and established herself as one of the favourites after making the top three.  Unlike some beauty queens in the past, Toni-Ann Singh’s story can be referred to as beauty with a purpose. The 23 year graduate of Florida State University has a passion for empowering others, especially young women. We are therefore not surprised that she has been partnering with the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF). She has been doing work with the St. Thomas branch of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation.  The WCJF which is a government agency is mandated to provide adolescent mothers with continuing education. The mission of the WCJF focuses on education, training and developmental counseling by improving levels of employment and productivity among our young and by delaying unwanted pregnancies. The WCJF has branches all across Jamaica. Toni-Ann could not have chosen a better project to work on. Jamaica has had a problem with teenage pregnancy over the years. The WCJF gives teenage mothers a second chance at making something out of their lives. Toni-Ann is a focused and talented young lady. She is articulate and embodies the hallmark of the Miss World pageant beauty with a purpose. We wish Toni-Ann all the best during her reign as Miss World. Welcome home Miss World, Toni-Ann Singh.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
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#MissWorld2019 #ToniAnnSingh #Jamaica



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