The finalists of Miss World New Zealand 2019 have raised more than NZ$36,000 for Brave, the Beauty with a Purpose project which placed second-equal at Miss World 2018. Brave is a charity founded by the current Miss World Oceania of New Zealand, Jessica Tyson. The charity works towards educating and helping young New Zealanders affected by sexual violence. Tyson says, “I’m so proud of how hard the girls worked in order to raise so much for Brave. Not only did they raise a significant amount of money, they also raised a lot of awareness around sexual violence in different communities around New Zealand, helping the lives of so many young people affected.” Throughout the Miss World New Zealand competition, between January and June, the finalists organised their own unique events to raise funds for Brave, including sports tournaments, car racing days, charity quizzes, bake sales, fashion shows and more.
“The girls also joined me to educate people about sexual violence during visits to community groups around the country, including schools, rotary groups and retirement villages, says Tyson. “The best part was being able to speak to people of all ages because sexual violence affects people of any age. Many of the elderly told us they were so proud to see that the topic of sexual violence is becoming easier to talk about today compared to when they were younger.” The funds raised will go towards travel expenses to continue the activities and projects run by Brave. This includes visits to schools and community centres around New Zealand to speak to people about sexual harm. “I’ve also chosen a selection of the contestants to become ambassadors for Brave. This means they’ll get to travel the country with me and get even more involved,” says Tyson.
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Brave kicks off school presentationsOver the weekend the founder of Brave, Jess Tyson hosted her first trial presentation in preparation for her school visits. Supporters came from all around Auckland to attend the hour-long presentation at AUT University. To start it off, Jess shared her story about being a victim and survivor of sexual abuse. She then carried on to teach the audience about the meaning of sexual violence, how to find help and how to help others. “I was so grateful to have friends come along to support me and hear my story, says Jess. “It was so good to receive their feedback at the end of the presentation to find ways to make the presentation even better.” One of those in the audience was James Wilson who said it was, “a very strong and moving presentation."
“Honest to a point that it made me think and consider the severity of the reality to what sexual violence really is,” he said. Celebrity auctioneer Allan Myers said the presentation was, “brave, educational, inspiring and genuine.” A highlight for some of those who attended were the fun videos played out to teach the audience about consent. Evo Matilda was said learning about consent was, “helpful as it emphasizes a safe environment for young people around sexual violence.” Jess will start delivering the presentations to high schools in her hometown Whanganui this week. |
AuthorThe team at Brave. |