KINGSTON, Jamaica – The winner of this year’s Miss Waterhouse Beauty Pageant, which is set to get under way at 7:00 pm today, will be awarded a scholarship valued at J$120,000.

In fact, the top three contestants in the pageant that was created to give young women from the Waterhouse community in Kingston, an opportunity to express themselves and help build self-confidence, will receive a total of J$225,000 in scholarships.

“Growing up in the inner-city, as they refer to us, doesn’t make you vulnerable, less fortunate nor should it let you feel less than you can become,” a statement from the pageant’s organising committee read. “Just like our very own Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, [we want to] let them know that no matter their circumstances, they can rise above and be the best they can throughout their many challenges.”

The winner of the pageant will become the ambassador for the community.

The pageant’s charity project this year is the Rushworth Basic School, which the organising committee said is badly in need of repairs. The pageant’s winner will be tasked with lobbying for support for the school.

So far, according to the statement, corporate sponsor Sanmerna Paper Products Limited has partnered with the pageant to fund the repair project.

The pageant will be held at the Balmagie Primary School on Bay Farm Road in Kingston 11, where 11 young women will vie for the title.