Beauty with a Purpose

Below you can read a personal account of the Beauty with a Purpose project done by Shalini Panchoo, the representative of Mauritius for Miss World 2012. It is just one example of the amazing work carried out by the contestants of this year's 2012 contest.

"The children of today are the people who will reshape our world, bringing peace, unity, compassion, understanding and love. I strongly believe that each child in this world can make a difference and for that reason I decided to concentrate my efforts as Miss Mauritius World on a mission to help the Mauritian children, in particular street children living in shelters, helping them to understand that they are as special as any other child.

My aim was to raise awareness of their situation so that the relevant authorities in my country would assist them in their education and give them the assistance they need to pursue their objectives in life. The time I spent with the children made me realise that each child has something which makes them stand out, it can be a talent in sports, singing, music, arts or a passion for something which is important to them.

Giving a child hope, putting a smile on their innocent face and making them realise that anything is possible if they put their heart to it is just priceless.  I obviously know I cannot change the world or completely change the situation of all street children in my country but through my beauty with a purpose project I wanted to bring at least a smile to faces of these children.

One of these children could be the next Miss world who knows , thus using my sash, my crown and my personality I made every effort to achieve my goal which is to convince them that they should not feel hopeless and that we are master of our destiny!  During my time spent with these wonderful kids I’ve realised that a sash is not just about being glamorous, it’s also about inspiring people, and giving them the motivation to fight for their dreams".