Ruqayyah Boyer officially crowned Miss Guyana World 2013

– working with anti-violence groups

Ruqayyah Boyer was on Friday sashed and crowned Miss Guyana World 2013 and she vowed to make her country and the world proud.

Moments after the crown was placed on her head during a press conference she said she intends to be a role model for young women and a symbol of hope for all.

Present at the event were Miss Guyana World 2006 Dessia Braithwaite, Miss Guyana World 2008 Christa Simmons and Miss Guyana World 2009 Imarah Radix.

Newly crowned Miss Guyana World Ruqayyah Boyer posing with from left Miss Guyana World 2006 Dessia Braithwaite, Miss  Guyana World 2009, Imarah Radix, Sasha Bharrat who has a rare skin disease and Miss Guyana World 2008 Christa Simmons. Bharrat assisted in the crowning and sashing of Boyer.
Newly crowned Miss Guyana World Ruqayyah Boyer posing with from left Miss Guyana World 2006 Dessia Braithwaite, Miss Guyana World 2009, Imarah Radix, Sasha Bharrat who has a rare skin disease and Miss Guyana World 2008 Christa Simmons. Bharrat assisted in the crowning and sashing of Boyer.

With her platform being domestic violence Boyer had collaborated with the US-based Caribbean American Domestic Violence Awareness (CADVA), Irene Madray’s Recrea-tional Arts and Resources Centre (IMRARC) and the S4 Foundation.

Latchmie Dookie explained to members of the media that IMRARC which has been in operation for a number of years is a non-government organisation which offers after-school programmes for children. It is the organisation’s aim to give back to the community through creative academic programming. She said too that the arts and drama are used to bring communities together. Additionally, IMRARC has broadened its horizons by spreading awareness on major issues affecting children and youth, among them domestic violence and suicide.

IMRARC, Dookie said, has collaborated with many organisations including CADVA. Together, she said, they managed to organise Guyana’s first international youth conference against the contagion of violence in 2012. In August this year, she added, it will be done again in Trinidad where many locations will be visited.

According to Dookie, during this period that IMRARC will launch its new project, Operation Billboard. This, she said, is all about building unity and creating a united front when standing up to social issues.

The new Miss Guyana World will assist in launching the project with the putting up the first billboard in Linden, she said.

Radix, the programme coordinator of the S4 Foundation said that one of the aims of her organisation is bringing about an end to domestic violence. While noting that the motto is ‘Sisters Helping Sisters’, she said her organisation recently joined forces in advocacy work with Boyer, CADVA and IMRARC in a session with the students of St Stanislaus College.

She said collective action needs to be taken on a variety of issues inclusive of domestic violence and human trafficking and called for a change in people’s attitude towards violence.

Boyer will represent Guyana at the Miss World 2013 pageant slated for September 28 in Indonesia.