Mary Juliet to Represent Sierra Leone in Miss Earth Beauty Pageant

By Ibrahim S.Bangura

Mary Juliet Sia Kanessie aka Juliet, a model in Freetown, will be representing Sierra Leone in the 23rd edition of Miss Earth Beauty Pageant among 88 other models across the globe.

The event will be held on the 22nd of December 2023 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Juliet’s representing Sierra Leone in the forthcoming competition came after winning the just concluded Miss Earth Sierra Leone Beauty Competition among other vibrant models in Freetown.

According to her, a lot of preparations has been put towards the competition. She assured that the trophy would be brought to Sierra Leone if Sierra Leoneans support her.  She said, “I have prepared enough for this competition, but I still need support and prayers from Sierra Leoneans. Winning the competition will be a victory for me as well as Sierra Leone. We need to fight this battle together. It is said that ‘one stick cannot make a forest’.”

Juliet, who is also a laboratory technician and makeup artist, said that she wanted to use the Miss Earth platform to raise awareness about mental health issues and break stigmas in Sierra Leone, thus making the country one of the healthier and happier countries in the world. “I appreciate you all for supporting me this far, but I still need your support,” she concluded.

Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one of the biggest four international beauty pageants. Miss Earth is a co-host of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth, an annual international environment awards established in 2005 by the United Nations to recognize outstanding environmental achievers and leaders at a policy level. The Miss Earth Foundation has also teamed up with The Climate Reality Project for the “Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training”, conducted by its founder and chairman, environmentalist and former US Vice President Al Gore.

Since 2002, the pageant has been mainly held in the Philippines, with live broadcasts in more than 80 countries via Fox Life, The Filipino Channel, and Metro Channel.

The current Miss Earth is Mina Sue Choi of South Korea who was crowned on November 29th , 2022 in Manila, Philippines.