Mired in controversy

02/09/2017

http://www.missnews.com.br/noticias/mired-in-controversy/

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By admin - September 1, 2017 0 15578


Miss Universe Guyana Organisation National Director, Jyoti Hardat (left) with Miss Universe, Iris Mittenaere (centre) and the Miss Universe Guyana 2017 winner, Rufieya Husain (Photo courtesy Miss Universe Facebook page)


–MUG 2017 delegates fear they were scammed
–take to social media to air grievances


SEVERAL young ladies who participated in the Miss Universe Guyana (MUG) 2017 Pageant, which was held in New York on August 19, are up in arms, wondering if they were conned by National Director, Jyoti Hardat.
This is after paying a US$2500 entrance fee for accommodation, transportation and clothing, among other things that they allegedly never received.
Fifteen young ladies took part in this year’s pageant, which was held at the York College Performing Arts Center. Most of the young ladies were US-based Guyanese, while three of them, Vicario Rogers, Rohana Carryl and Maria Rosheuvel were from Guyana. One delegate, Marva Mittholzer, was from the British Virgin Islands.
The scarred young ladies have since turned to social media, via video posts, to speak out about their experiences. And the tales are far from pretty.
Altea Kelly and Sharisse Victor have already posted their videos, with the others promising to post more with each passing day.
Their stories speak of gross mismanagement, utter disrespect for the delegates, neglect, and even one case of sexual harassment by a potential sponsor.
“I am not here to bash anyone; I am not here to get anyone up in arms about the results from the pageant,” said Victor, the first runner-up during her video.
“It’s more about how we were treated, and what went on during the pageant; not the results. I’m talking about facts; I’m talking about what we were told we were going to get, and what we received. And they were completely different things.”


MIRED IN CONTROVERSY
This year’s MUG pageant has found itself steeped in controversy, ever since it was first announced that the pageant was being held in New York; held outside of Guyana’s shores for the first time in history.
Added to that, it was later revealed that the outgoing queen, Soyini Fraser, was not invited to the pageant to crown her successor.
But that was all only the beginning. In a surprising turn of events, last year’s first runner-up, Rufieya Husain, announced that she was entering the pageant, despite the fact that the pageant contract specifically asks that the delegates not be a current title holder or first runner-up in any national pageant.



As pointed out, Section One, Sub-section ‘H’ of the delegates’ contract reads:
“I represent and warrant that I have never been a contestant or delegate in a previous Miss Universe Pageant. I am not the current title holder or first runner-up in any national pageant or competition.”
Husain was eventually awarded the title, and crowned by reigning Miss Universe, Iris Mittenaere.
After the crowning, Kelly said she loudly queried how could Husain even be in the pageant, much less be crowned the queen, when she was last year’s first runner-up, and claims that she found herself whisked away into a room by two gentlemen, who tried to hush her up.
Other delegates also observed that Husain was accorded special privileges throughout the training period; privileges that all the other delegates were specifically told they could not have. She was also the one that did a lot of the training of the young ladies, and in one case brought the meals for the contestants, which a few of the young ladies alleged made them sick.
Others on Hardat’s staff also questioned the results, and the MUG Organisation’s Administrative Assistant, Delroy Walcott, and Marketing Manager, Tasha Dwhaj, resigned almost immediately after the pageant, questioning the transparency, and speaking out about ill treatment from Hardat.


 


WHERE’S OUR MONEY
However, the delegates don’t care so much about whether or not this year’s pageant was rigged, as much as they want to know exactly what happened to their money.
According to the delegates, they each had to pay a $2500 entrance fee to be a part of the pageant.
“What I can’t handle is people saying, ‘Oh, we’re doing this because we’re bitter, or we’re doing this because we didn’t win.’ “We’re doing this because we got robbed; that’s what we’re really upset about,” an incensed Victor said.
As stated in a handbook the young ladies was given by the MUG organisation, the entrance fee was being used to cover an extensive list of comforts and conveniences, including, but not limited to, accommodation, transportation between events, all of the meals during the pageant, prizes and awards, hair and makeup, fitness training, a competition gown, hosting of events, recognition listings of their sponsors and also includes “winners trip to the Miss Universe competition.”
The ladies got almost none of these things. According to the girls, there was no accommodation; and this eventually became a dire situation for the young ladies who travelled from outside of the country, or state, who were, according to one delegate, “literally left homeless, with nowhere to go.”
“It was after a photoshoot that we had that me, Oriane and Amanda realised that Rohanna and Vicario had nowhere to go,” Victor recounted.
The ladies also had to make their own way around New York, paying as much as US$60 per trip. The situation reportedly got so difficult at one point that at least two of the young ladies broke down emotionally.
“I spent at least $300 rushing back and forth in Ubers, on top of the money I already paid,” Victor said, adding:
“Our hair and makeup team said that they’re there on a pro bono basis. So, I would like to know what my money went to, if the hair and makeup was voluntary; if I paid for my own transportation; there were no accommodations; and I paid for my own dress. So, what exactly was our $2500 going to?”


SPINE-TINGLING
However, the most spine-tingling tale came from 23-year-old Kelly, who was allegedly introduced by Hardat to a “potential sponsor”. According to Kelly, during her first meeting with Hardat, she was introduced to a gentleman. Said gentleman, Kelly said, offered her a job, which she worked at for approximately a month before the pageant. According to Kelly, Hardat then told her that the gentleman wanted to sponsor her, but when Kelly went to him about sponsorship, she instead received a most traumatizing situation. She was informed that if she wanted him to help her, she had to “help him” insinuating sexual favours, and at one point coming out and explicitly stating for Kelly what he meant.
Several persons have since advised the young ladies to file a class action suit against the MUG Organisation. However, they are noting that they have no money for a lawyer. Nonetheless, as the stories come in, more and more persons are offering words of wisdom and help to the young ladies.


http://guyanachronicle.com/2017/09/01/mired-in-controversy


 

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