‘Beauty within’ at the heart of Hope Pageant
BEAUTY, heels and make-up will not guarantee a win in this pageant, but a generous heart will.
Dancing, beading or an act of kindness – such as giving balloons to others – will stand contestants from nine countries in good stead to win at the Hope Pageant International.
The pageant is a platform that allows contestants to find who they are, contribute to issues in their respective countries, and teach teenagers and single women to use their talents to reach out to people and make a difference.
Founder of the Hope Pageant International, Ingrid Burger, said the goal was to host beauty pageants that don’t only focus on beauty, glitz and glamour, but on “character, values and a giving heart”.
Jordyn McKenzie, 14, from Stellenberg High School, and the recently crowned Miss Teen Hope Western Cape 2015, is living up to those ideals.
She started a Heart of Dreams project that reaches out to children in orphanages, informal settlements, farm schools and hospitals – such as Red Cross Children’s Hospital – to give them hope. She teaches the children wire art – in the shape of a heart – through beading.
As the children create the hearts, they pray for each bead, which represents a dream.
“We put our hearts between our praying hands and thank the Lord for all our blessings and what he has done for us thus far, as well as all the dreams that will come true,” Jordyn said.
Children in hospital have a very special place in Jordyn’s heart. Years ago, she was hospitalised after being diagnosed with ITP, which is a low blood platelet count and Type 1 diabetes.
She witnessed the “sadness in the children’s eyes” while receiving treatment and therefore regularly delivers heart-shaped beads to disabled children as they cannot bead on their own.
With her reward that includes children’s “warm smiles”, she goes home happy.
“Jordyn has a special talent. She allows children to think of where they want to be in life and she gives them an opportunity to dream with no limitations,” Burger said.
Jordyn – hoping to win the international competition – will be competing with eight other contestants from other countries in the teen category of the Hope Pageant International, which takes place from November 30 to December 5 at the V&A Waterfront.