'Para kay Nanay': Philippines' touching solo moms tribute enters Miss World 2021 challenge Top 5
MANILA, Philippines — After being chosen as one of 10 outstanding advocacy projects, Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez's "A Single Mother's Journey to Love," was picked as one of the Top 5 best Beauty with a Purpose (BWAP) initiatives, alongside candidates from the USA, South Africa, England, and Kenya.
What is even more noteworthy is the promise of the Miss World Organization to visit and lend support to Tracy's project in Cordova, Cebu.
"In every fall, we dare to stand tall. This is my story of how I rose up to make others rise above. Growing up with just me and my mom, I have seen how challenging it was for her to singlehandedly raise our little, yet, beautiful family. Despite all the problems, she always had this reassuring smile on her face; reminding me that everything is going to be okay.
"And so when I lost her 11 years ago, I lost a huge part of myself. I lost my direction, even. But getting to know single mothers just like my mom, brought me back on track. My personal story is the very inspiration of my life-long commitment to honor my mother's sacrifices by standing in the frontlines for solo parents - and gather like-minded people who believe in this cause and amplify our purpose all across the world.
"... In every smile and laughter, with every narrative told in words silently spoken in tears, I see a reflection of my mom. Her tenacity to face obstacles and her grit to overcome them all, that is my driving force to fight for this cause. I know that by taking care of them, I'm also taking care of her. We have already taken small steps. But together, we can take a leap.
"From organizing health and wellness activities to trainings for livelihood, our unified efforts are making ways to uplift the lives of the mothers and their children. Let us see more faces beaming with hope for the future; more feet running around playfully, unbothered by life's complexities. I see beauty in many shapes and forms in life's highs and lows - people from all walks of life in reaching out to others, that they may reach their individual and collective dreams. This to me is the essence of true beauty with a purpose," intimated Tracy in her BWAP video.
A lot of mothers, including those with husbands, have lauded Tracy's efforts and the legacy that her late mother, Chona Perez, has inspired in her lovely daughter. With the Miss World Organization's support, the community of lone parents in Cordova, Cebu will become even bigger and stronger.
Catch the Miss World 2021 final show on Friday, December 17, 8 a.m. (Philippine time) on the CNN Philippines network. Stay tuned!
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