7 minute read
BEAUTY PAGEANT
Abigail Pierre-Louis has won the crown of Miss Heritage Global 2022, a pageant held this September in Limpopo, South Africa. A 25-year-old with family roots in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Abigail highlighted her international marketing background and multicultural studies and came out forcefully to show a positive image of Haiti to the world.
Abigail is proud of her Haitian culture and hosts a podcast called “The Homegirl Hustlers”, which guides hard-working women to pursue their passions without allowing limitations to get in their way.
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GET TO KNOW ABIGAIL PIERRE-LOUIS
MISS HERITAGE GLOBAL 2022
By Martine St. Hilaire
While running a digital marketing agency called “Boost Your Brand”, Abigail has been driven to help Haitians become entrepreneurs, regardless of obstacles. She also teaches digital entrepreneurship
Abigail’s victory means much to the Haitian community, as she has become a voice for the small island. She’s made a big impact, and her many supporters have been sharing her success with the world.
seminars in partnership with Sakapfet OKAP, a multimedia platform dedicated to North Haiti, its inhabitants, events, history, culture and values. The organization’s name is derived from the name of the city of Okap (or Cap-Haitien).
For the past ten years, the Miss Heritage Global organization has used its global stage to educate the masses about heritage and diversity. Its 2022 pageant was hosted by actress and television host Khanyi Mbau and comedian Mpho Popps. The Kalahari Waterfront Lodge was brimming with excitement as Abigail’s name was called. She couldn’t contain her excitement as the former Miss South Africa 2020, Shudufhadzo Musida, crowned her. Abigail walked away with a “Thohoyandou” crown designed by Akapo Dibenya Jewellers and a cash prize of $10,000.
In the future, Abigail hopes to share Haiti’s light in different parts of the world, just as her predecessors have done in the past. “As we move forward, Haiti will have a louder, more elevated voice in many nations as we trailblaze to illuminate Haiti as the amazing pearl that it is,” says Abigail.
Abigail is honored to have represented Haiti at the 2022 Miss Heritage Global Pageant, so her goal is to communicate her accomplishments with everyone. Her achievements include, but are not limited to, the following: • Teaching digital entrepreneurship seminars in Haiti in collaboration with Boost Your
Brand & Sakapfet OKAP • Portray Haitian in a positive light in the media to advance tourism (in the safe parts of the country) and share the word with multiple
Haitian businesses
• Donate soccer balls to local kids in Cap-Haitien • Attend and host local events at the Little Haiti Cultural Center • Attend press conferences and media shows to promote Haiti
Abigail would not be where she is without the love and support of her family, friends, mentors, and community. Thanks her support
systems and amazing sponsors, Abigail has shone a positive light on Haiti and all that the country can achieve when its community comes together. – My Lifesyle Magazine & Agency in partnership with Jabalí Private
Aviation and Creative Affairs
NYC. – Sendwave, an application that safely and quickly sends money from North America and Europe to numerous countries across
Africa and Asia. – Stylist Maritza Boudoir – Make Up Patrica Canvas – Designer Hermilia Yves – Designer Phelicia Dell – Designer Richard Petit, Papillon
Designs – Designer Dayanne Danier, Bien
Abye – Luggage BVstylez – Trainer HaitiFit , Carlos Elie – Boost Your Brand Digital
Marketing – Group Sakapfet OKAP – Sunglasses Tony Brown Collection – Video Production Mike Sauers – Photo Jameson Thermitus, Verse
Citi & Joe Wesley – Athleisure Wear Rebels and
Stone – Nails & Hair ReNu Beauty Lounge – Safe Trips Haiti John-Wesley
Pierre
FOLLOW ABIGAIL: abbypierrelouee
“The hardest part is making the choice.” After a decision is made, it’s all about willpower and perseverance.
MIDELINE PHELIZOR MISS UNIVERSE HAITI 2022, SHARES HER JOURNEY TO THE CROWN
MISS UNIVERSE HAITI 2022
SHARES HER JOURNEY TO THE CROWN
By Martine St. Hilaire ideline Phelizor has taken a serious interest in beauty pageants because competing in them allows her to strengthen her self-confidence and project a positive image of her country, Haiti. The success she has achieved with modeling and the encouragement from her father motivated her to enter the beauty pageant world. In 2018, Mideline became a delegate at Miss World Haiti 2018 and was named first runner-up.
Mideline’s most cherished wish is for Haitians to return to the glory that characterizes the country’s history. Her desire is for Haitians to find a path to peace through effective dialogue and solidarity.
Maybeline Dugué Despagne
Photo by Romero Giovanni Jadotte
The Silhouette Agency Foundation is one of Mideline’s greatest accomplishments. It is a pleasure and a privilege for her to share her knowledge with over 50 young girls and boys. As leader of this organization, she prides herself in helping children improve their
Mideline plans to support women’s empowerment first, by promoting access to equal professional opportunities and pay equity. Pay equity is the concept of compensating employees who have similar job functions with comparably equal pay, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or other status. Mideline believes women should be paid exactly what they’re worth and that only women can determine that worth, especially if it’s a current occurrence in their lives.
walking techniques, posture, and overall stage presence. She feels this work contributes greatly to youth empowerment in general.
What gives Mideline added satisfaction is being an agent that children can depend on. She loves seeing the smiles on their faces whenever they are contracted for an industry gig she orchestrated. “Their reactions every time I find them paid contracts, which is very difficult and exceptional in Haiti, is why I do this,” says Mideline. It brings her joy to train and guide talented young people.
Mideline has advocated for children, especially orphans, since she was a child. At the time, she didn’t have her own non-profit organization, but that changed after she established the Silhouette Agency Foundation. She’s convinced the foundation will make a great impact in the Haitian community because she can reach many more people and sensitize them to respect the rights of children, especially orphans. “Silhouette Agency will help me formalize my actions and commit to more human and material resources around my ideals,” she says.
Mideline recalls that the moment she was crowned the Miss Universe Haiti in August 2022, time stopped. In shock, she said to herself, “Am I seriously the new Miss Universe Haiti?” She was elated to win the crown but, more importantly, learned an invaluable lesson that has become her new mantra: “The hardest part is making the choice.” She believes decision-making is the most difficult part of any dream one wants to achieve. After a decision is made, it’s all about willpower and perseverance. For the first time, Mideline whole-heartedly enjoyed her beauty pageant experience from beginning to end. She has grown tremendously since she secured the 2022 crown. But don’t be fooled by her apparently effortless success. She experienced a high level of stress during the event. The way she faced her challenges was by putting everything into perspective. She believes this led her to win the crown. Today, her primary objective is to continue to work hard so she can go as far as possible and represent Haiti to her fullest capacity.
In addition to maintaining international beauty standards, modern judges typically want to crown a contestant who has an appealing personality and intelligence. When we asked Mideline which of these qualities are more important to her and why, she replied that beauty and intelligence are not contradictory. In other words, intelligence helps her manage her beauty. These qualities complement each other. “In the past, women were told, ‘Be beautiful and shut up’ but fortunately those days are gone,” she says. These days, having a healthy mind and body is widely promoted throughout the Internet and in mass marketing.
Mideline plans to support women’s empowerment first, by promoting access to equal professional opportunities and pay equity. Pay equity is the concept of compensating employees who have similar job functions with comparably equal pay, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or other status. Mideline believes women should be paid exactly what they’re worth and that only women can determine that worth, especially if it’s a current occurrence in their lives.
When Madeline has the time, she relaxes by reading. She likes to learn as much as she can, and feels reading is the path to achieving that goal. “You learn so many things when you read more,” she says. Though she loves American television series, watching TV is more of a hobby, and one she’s been neglecting. She also enjoys playing games and partaking in sports to stay healthy.
