Who will be Miss Garifuna Belize City?

The organisers of virtually every pageant held in Belize insist that theirs is not a “beauty” contest, but instead involves some other special quality like talent, brains or personality. While we can’t speak to those claims, one thing we can say is that the annual Miss Garifuna pageant is different. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting
These young ladies have been rehearsing for the past few weeks to compete in the upcoming Ms Garifuna Belize City Pageant. The event is one of several leading up to Garifuna Settlement Day on November 19th.

Whitney Benguche, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“I’m just here to have fun and make sure I do my best when I go up.”

Marion Ali
“What talent will you be presenting?”

Whitney Benguche
“Singing and talking about my neighbour’s daughter.”

Kimberley Gentle will touch on domestic violence in her talent presentation.

Kimberley Gentle, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“I see a lot happening in our country today so I choose a topic that will actually send a message also to the youths.”

“Actually it’s not my first time, it’s my second time. So I’m here just to actually enjoy myself because I’m also very proud of my culture.”

Britney Ortiz says her presentation will focus on the importance of a good education.

Britney Ortiz, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“I want to show other people to stay at school and pay attention so that when they reach at high school they could explain good in English.”

Sody Bernardez is from Honduras. She’s confident that her roots in that country will give her the edge.

Sody Bernardez, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“I know what fi seh eena Garifuna.”

Marion Ali
“What will you be doing?”

Sody Bernardez
“My speech ih wah be about good neighbours and bad neighbours. Because sometimes there are good neighbours deh no even respect di other and deh wah maybe fight, quarrel up and that is bad.”

Erica Zuniga said she had to live up to a family tradition.

Erica Zuniga, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“Yes, my cousin. She went up fi Ms. Belize and she won and went she went with the nationals fi Ms. Garifuna I think she came in third or fourth, something like that.”

Marion Ali
“So you think you could do this?”

Erica Zuniga
“Yes, if I follow she I think could do it yes.”

Deidra Gentle was also encouraged by family members to take part.

Deidra Gentle, Contestant, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“Since my cousin and my sista done gaan up fi Ms. Garifuna they encourage me fi come up like how ih run eena fi we family so like I just come up too and try feel confident, be confident .”

Marion Ali
“So you have some queens in your family?”

Deidra Gentle
“Yes, my sista done gaan up, my auntie, ih run eena di family.”

Marion Ali
“So you feel di burden deh pan yoh shoulders now that people wah di expect you fi win since you family have that tradition?”

Deidra Gentle
“Yes Ma’am.”

Marion Ali
“And how confident are you?”

Deidra Gentle
“Wah lee bit(laughing).”

So for contestants like Deidra Gentle who are a bit nervous about entering, reigning Belize City queen Julia Castillo has been there to offer that added support.

Julia Castillo, Reigning Ms. Garifuna Belize City
“I’ll pass on probably the braveness to motivate them more, not to be shy.”

“I will encourage young people out there to take a try because if you don’t really talk the language well it could help you.”

And the lack of fluency in the language is exactly what event coordinator Bridget Miranda says has become a concern for Garifuna elders.

Bridget Miranda, Coordinator, Ms. Garifuna Belize City Pageant
“Our candidates this year are not too fluent in the language so it’s a hard job for me but I know that they’re ready for it. After one month, I sure they’re ready for the pageant Saturday.”

“We always try to advise our parents to try to train them at home to speak our language and thing like that. I think that’s the only way we can try to have them speaking our language fluently.”

And school is just where National Garifuna Council Board Member, Sebastian Cayetano, says the Council is looking for help to restore the language.

Sebastian Cayetano, Board Member, National Garifuna Council
“To address this matter the National Garifuna Council has embarked on the Gulisi Community School in Dangriga and this is an effort to teach our children our language.”

“We are very concerned about the loss of the language, very, very concerned and we have to do much more. Our schools could help with this also, our schools. We have books available, we have material available but we also need-as the Garifuna Council–we also need to conduct workshops with our teachers right across and emphasize the need for the language and the culture and this is not only true of Garifuna, this is true of all the cultures of Belize.”

Cayetano believes the problem with the language originated in the 50’s and 60’s when many Garinagu tended to assimilate into the larger Belizean culture.

Reporting for News Five I am Marion Ali

The pageant takes place Saturday night at Holy Redeemer Parish Hall starting at eight. Tickets can be purchased at the door at ten dollars for adults and five dollars for children.