Miss World TT contestant helps St Jude's girls heal

Samara Pantin at work at the Office of the Prime Minister, Gender and Child Affairs.
Samara Pantin at work at the Office of the Prime Minister, Gender and Child Affairs.

Miss World TT 2020 hopeful Samara Pantin wants to help the young women of the St Jude’s Home for Girls in Belmont transition as smoothly as possible into the world of adulthood, and she's using her pageant platform to do it.

“My Beauty With A Purpose project, called the HER project, aims to assist young women who have aged out of St Jude’s, and need to transition into society,” the 19-year-old aspiring social worker told Newsday. She specifically chose this project because she has lived in and understands the system.

“As a former resident of St Jude’s, I saw the need for this programme. I didn’t grow up in St Jude’s. I was only there for a year and a half…I had some difficulty with my family which led me to go to court and the magistrate sent me to St Jude’s to be protected. Not all the girls that are sent there are in trouble with the law or can’t be controlled,” she explained.

The Miss Port of Spain representative said when she first got to St Jude’s, it was difficult because she didn’t know anyone.

“It was tough adjusting to a new environment and I had my ups and downs, my periods of breakdowns. But I’m glad for the experience because it has helped shape me into the woman I am today.”

Miss World TT 2020 contestant Samara Pantin wants to assist young women to rise above their circumstances and embrace a promising future, pursue a career amd become self-sufficient. -

She said the staff and management helped and guided her to make the right decisions, and constantly reminded her that she had a greater purpose and pushed her to improve herself.

“I was able to leave there with four CSEC passes and certificates from other programmes that I was able to attend and complete.”

She now works at the Office of Prime Minister in the Gender and Child Affairs Department.

The HER project, which is an acronym for "heal, empower and restore," will help young women who have aged out of the facility to work towards achieving their goals, become self-sufficient and productive women of society.

“Right now my main focus for this project is to help the girls that are in need of basic necessities and to help them get on their feet. Soon I will be getting some people to facilitate some classes so that they can be pointed in the right direction in terms of career guidance, self-defence and budgeting.”

She said fortunately for her and some of the other young women she knows, they were able to return to stay with relatives after they left the facility. Others, she said, were not so lucky.

“Some of them would have nowhere to go, so they have to stay in hostels arranged by St Jude’s. They would need jobs, clothes, food, toiletries, so that’s what HER will try to assist with. Also, helping with writing resumes and coaching for job interviews. There is one young woman I know who is having a baby, so I’m trying to see how best I can help her.”

But these things require funding and Pantin has approached and pitched the idea to a number of business people. However, she said, the effects of the pandemic have hampered how much people can and are willing to give.

“With covid19 it has been a struggle to get the money and items we really need to help these girls. I plan on doing a fundraiser and possibly a GoFundMe account. Interested persons that are willing to contribute can also do so via my social media pages.”

Samara Pantin, a contestant in the Miss World TT 2020 pageant and a former resident of St Jude's Home for Girls in Belmont, wants to point young women in the right direction. -

She said although she had not spent as long a time as others at St Jude’s and was sent home two weeks before she turned 18, she believes she would have been in a much better place if she had been exposed to something like the HER project.

“If there was a proper programme in place, not only would my life be probably much better but so would the other girls that left St Jude’s before me.”

She is intent on using her pageantry platform to send a message to young people that they should not allow the mistakes or circumstances of their past to be an excuse for not pursuing a promising future.

“With my past experiences, I want to show young women and men like myself who were in state care at some point in their lives that your past doesn’t determine your future, and anything is possible once you put your mind to achieve it. What I am doing is shining a light down a path for others to follow and be a great example.”

On preparation for the pageant, which was scheduled to come off in January, Pantin said adjusting to virtual training has been tough.

“The Miss World directors will make a decision on what will happen with the event. Meanwhile, the Miss World TT franchise is making it possible for us to get the full experience despite the challenges.”

For more info on the HER project follow Samara Pantin on Facebook Samara Pantin MWTT2020-Miss Port of Spain and on Instagram samarapantin.mwtt2020official

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"Miss World TT contestant helps St Jude’s girls heal"

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