Berbice men for male empowerment showcase
The Mr Berbice Male Empowerment Showcase slated for October 25, is expected to be one of the most anticipated events of the New Amsterdam Town Week hosted by the Caribbean Nations Group (CNG), with seven young men will be vying for this title.
Coordinator of the showcase and teacher of Berbice High School Onefa George came up with the idea for the pageant after a conversation with President of the CNG Jevaughn Stephen, who indicated that he was forming the town week and was in the process of choosing activities to entertain attendees. Immediately, Onefa jumped at this. She had been considering the showcase for a long time and the opportunity finally presented itself.
“I believe that we are lacking quality entertainment as it relates to men and it was also to give the public the opportunity to see men in a different light as they empower, educate and eradicate certain stigma as it relates to men in general. We see men as a catalyst for change in the society hence we need to present them in a positive light,” Onefa said.
In this week’s edition of The Scene, we are pleased to introduce the seven contenders: Jason Vanderstoop, Diquan Bobb, Joseph Smith, Teion Anthony Braud, Timothy Andrew, Aravindra Moonsammy and Dane Johnson.
Jason Vanderstoop of The Morning Spice on 88.5 Rock FM is competing mainly because of his passion for empowerment regardless of race, creed, gender, religious beliefs and financial status. His platform is youth empowerment. Jason hopes that his participation in this competition will allow him the opportunity to inspire, motivate and make changes for the better however he can. The 25-yearold Berbician considers himself to be a well-grounded individual who believes that once one understands one’s worth and potential, one can conquer anything.
Diquan Bobb, a 21-year-old former Berbice High Student spent seven years at his alma mater where he sat both the CSEC and CAPE examinations. Having participated in his school athletics he will be focusing his platform on the importance of athletics in the school’s curriculum. A proud immigration officer, Diquan said adjectives that describe his personality the best are optimistic, intelligent, hardworking and humble.
Joseph Smith, a forest ranger, will be using his experience in his profession to bring awareness to his platform, deforestation, as he sees this not to be an issue taken lightly. The 28-year-old who hails from Fort Ordnance, Canje has a passion for music and musical composition. He considers himself to be someone who is family oriented and success driven.
Teion Anthony Braud
Teion Anthony Braud is a 27-year-old sports enthusiast and is a fire fighter. Given that the suicide rate is extremely high, this is certainly an issue Teion wants to tackle and shed more light on prevention methods. He is 5ft 9 inches tall and enjoys playing basketball, cricket, interacting with people and socializing with friends.
Timothy McAndrew is a plant operator with the Guyana Water Inc and a fitness enthusiast. He plans on using his passion for his platform to encourage others to be healthy and fit. As someone who is considered to be ambitious and driven, Timothy thrives on challenge and constantly setting goals for himself so that he always has something to strive towards. For him it is never okay to settle when he has the potential to achieve greatness. Aravinda Moonsammy is a blogger and aspiring flight attendant. This 22-year-old is a customer service representative at GTT and Director of Public Relations for Rotaract in New Amsterdam. Co-founder of Arvin’s Blog and The Purple Rose Foundation, his platform is domestic violence against women.
A teacher at the Berbice Educational Institute, Dane Johnson has an undying love for sports and will be using his passion for his platform, which is promoting healthy lifestyle through sports. For someone who is always up for a challenge Dane believes that this competition is certainly what he needs. He posited that he is someone who is hardworking, ambitious and humble. His hobbies are football and athletics.
This is not the first New Amsterdam town week, but according to Onefa, this is the first time it is hosted by a private entity.
The list activities are: Mayor’s Ball X (Sat, October 19), Birding Competition and Gospel Fest (Sun, Oct 20), InterSchool Debating Competition (Mon, Oct 21), Senior Citizens Breakfast (Tue, Oct 22), Inter-High Basketball Competition (Wed, Oct 23), All White Cocktail Party (Thurs, Oct 24), Male Empowerment Showcase (Fri, Oct 25), Concert (Sat, Oct 26), Birding and Dominoes competitions (Sun, Oct 27), Softball Cricket Competition (Mon, Oct 28), Poetry Competition (Tue, Oct 29), Renaming of Streets in Stanleytown (Wed, Oct 30), Big People Party (Thurs Oct 31), Medical Outreach (Fri, November 1), Street Fair/Exhibition and All Black Affair (Sat Nov 2), and Duck Curry Competition and Cooler Fete (Sun Nov 3).
The CNG is an organisation that is involved in charitable works. The town week celebrations team is made up of Jevaughn Stephen (President of CNG), Andrew Bess (Vice president of CNG), Tanuja Raika (Graphics Designer and member of CNG), Onefa George (Showcase Coordinator), Andre James (Events Coordinator of CNG), Obessie Mickle (CNG member) and Linden Joseph (CEO of Juggernaut Entertainment). New Amsterdam’s Deputy Mayor, Wainwright McIntosh is also a part of this team.
The Mr Berbice Male Empowerment Showcase will be hosted at the New Amsterdam Stelling Road. The event begins at 8 pm.