CLAREMONT, St Ann — Each year young girls in South East St Ann, ages eight to 12, have an opportunity to learn about their culture and heritage while showcasing their talent. This year is expected to be no different with the seventh staging of the Mini Miss South East St Ann competition.

Organiser of the event Donovan Wallace said the annual show is not a beauty pageant, but a talent and awareness competition which helps the girls to be rounded in their development.

“I do this every year to get the girls involved in a summer activity,” he told the Jamaica Observer North East, during a recent interview.

Wallace launched the competition seven years ago to help children in his community.

The product of an inner-city community and with the first few years of his life being challenging ones, Wallace wanted to help to mould children to become great men and women of the future.

Having gone to St Ann to be with relatives after the death of his mother and the migration of his grandmother, the struggles were many. However, his dynamic personality would not allow him to become a victim of circumstance. It was this dream to help to develop the youth of his community that gave birth to the Mini Miss St Ann competition.

He explained that the young contestants are taken on excursions to various attractions and historic sites across Jamaica, every week leading up to the big show, which this year, will be held on July 27.

According to Wallace, Mystic Mountain and Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios host the girls every year and that is something he is grateful for.

The girls in the competition are usually drawn from communities in the constituency of South East St Ann. Wallace said he gets the support from the various political representatives in and out of the constituency to ensure that the show, which is seen as a major tool for nation building, continues.

He went on to explain that the competition not only benefits the contestants, as part-proceeds go towards community activities.

“The winner usually gets something educational,” Wallace told the Observer North East, adding that the top three contestants are assisted with their back-to-school expenses.

In addition, schools in South East St Ann usually benefit from proceeds.

Wallace explained that over the years he has had several school signs erected, and these include two signs at the Alderton Primary and the Claremont All-Age School.

In light of the assistance that the organisation wishes to continue giving, Wallace said he is calling on business establishments across the parish to support this venture.

“It goes back to the development of young children,” he stressed.

Meanwhile Wallace, who also gets the support of friends overseas in his community development activities, said he also intends to host a back-to-school treat in the Claremont area this year.