PHILIPSBURG:--- Posh Productions welcomed Mrs. Haiti International Judith “Judy” Leger to an intimate discussion on her platform "Domestic Violence" last Friday at the Carl & Sons Lounge in Philipsburg.
“Mrs. Leger, Mrs. Haiti International 2017/2018 reached out through mutual parties and advised that she was coming to St. Maarten and would like an opportunity to meet with the reigning Queens and or any young ladies who are a part of Posh programs.
I decided to create the opportunity for the queens and those aspiring to compete for the 2018 crowns, an opportunity to meet a Queen who will be competing on an international level” explained Founder and CEO of Posh Productions Mrs. Anna Rabess- Richardson.
Special guest speaker for the evening was President and Founder of VOICES Foundation Ms. Nkosazana Esther Illis whose foundation’s name is an acronym for Victory-Over-Injustice-Consciously-Eliminating-Silence.
The dynamic but intimate evening was one that left all in attendance touched, empowered and inspired. Topics discussed during the evening were the Mrs. International Pageant competition, Mrs. Haiti’s back story of domestic violence and ways in which we as a community can support and uplift each other.
During the evening Mrs. Leger stated, “Whether or not you have crown or not, Queens pull each other up, that’s what a Queen does.” Ms. Illis added, “You are a queen from your heart first”.
“Domestic Violence is still something that is a taboo in St. Maarten and the Caribbean and throughout the world. We should always speak out against domestic violence “use your voice, and save a life” let us bring awareness to the people in our community and the world at large” said Mrs. Illis of Voices Foundation. “My job is to educate women on the signs, it starts with the mental abuse, and I want to bring more awareness to it. No one talks about it. I feel it's my job to be the voice of those who have passed on from domestic violence” – expressed Mrs. Leger.
“Nkosazana brought the energy and knowledge of positive healing. How proper healing begins with acknowledgment, forgiving oneself first then others, it was extremely enlightening” added Mrs. Rabess- Richardson. Healing and positive thinking were a key topic throughout the night “If you don't deal with that issue, it deals with you - Mrs. Leger added.
“It was so intimate, I felt like I knew each of you for years. The Queens even taught me something about myself, I learned that I dug deep to heal myself. They gave me hope and welcomed me with an open heart and mind. I feel refreshed to know I have made new lifelong friends." expressed Mrs. Leger.
Miss Junior Carnival Queen 2017/2018 Zidania Charles-Gumbs’s key takeaways were that we should all stand up and that we are beautiful in the eyes of God. Love is being nice and kind to each other.
Michelline Hunte, Ms. Mature Carnival Queen 2017/2018 learned that “God always has a plan for your life. Sometimes we question our lives but everything has its purpose you may not find that out today or tomorrow but eventually, we all will. This evening thought me that with my reign that anything is possible through God and fight for what you believe in. Never give up!”
“Meeting Judy Leger, Mrs. Haiti International was quite an invigorating experience. Judy is what you can simply define as beautiful inside and out. She is a life warrior. Her journey has not been an easy one, she has traveled some very rough roads but came out on top. Her platform is Domestic Violence, spoken from a very harsh, cruel and painful reality endured” said Mrs. Rabess – Richardson.
“At the end of the Meet & Greet between listening to her journey, her healing process and how she uses her experience to motivate others to rise above their fears and take their lives back, she encourages them to speak out and get out, and that left me in a state of amazement” continued Mrs. Rabess – Richardson.
Judy’s life story also touched reigning Carnival Teen Queen Shakainah Arrindell-Pompier. “What touched me was that she was brave enough to come to out and speak about her past to us on how she overcame it, in my eyes she's a conqueror. I'm very happy that she is able to touch the lives of others even though I never went through domestic violence she made me look at my life in a whole other perspective and I will also like to touch the hearts of many.”
“The importance of this event is for the Queens (present and future) to understand that pageantry is about being a philanthropist! You must have the community at heart. You must have a platform that you will work hard to make a difference in your community with. That's the key takeaway!” said Mrs. Rabess- Richardson.
The stories, knowledge, experiences, and advice shared during this special event is in alignment with the mission and vision of Posh Productions which is to promote philanthropy through strong community-based services and to foster goodwill ambassadors by encouraging individual growth, personal platforms, and community involvement.
“I would like to thank Carl and Sons Lounge for their partial sponsorship, Lydia’s Flower Shop for her bouquet gift, TELEM, and St. Maarten Tourist Bureau for their tokens of appreciation to Mrs. Haiti International and to Mrs. Nkosazana Esther Ellis for joining on behalf of VOICES Foundation. Thanks to my Posh members for their continued support and dedication and Kenty Lichtenberg, St. Maarten's Blogger, for coming out to meet Mrs. Haiti International and for her upcoming publication in Kerai Kreative Style” concluded Mrs. Rabess-Richardson.
