Grovetown woman wins Mrs Congeniality at the Mrs USA Earth 2024 Pageant
A Grovetown woman recently won a title in a pageant that highlights and advocates for issues far more substantial than beauty.
Advocating for a platform of living a more sustainable lifestyle, Aisha Manus recently took home the Mrs Congeniality title at the Mrs USA Earth 2024 Pageant. (The pageant excludes the period in the Mrs titles for its contestants.)
“I like doing pageants,” said the 36-year-old. “I have competed in previous pageants over the years. My first one was during the pandemic. This pageant felt like it was the right one for me because it's Earth-based and taking care of Mother Nature. Given that my platform is all about sustainability, it made sense for me to try this pageant.”
Manus said one of the many highlights of competing was shining a light on an organization dear to her.
“The charity I champion is called Cloth Connection Outreach," she said. "The organization supplies free cloth pads and cups in an effort to break the cycle of period poverty in a sustainable way. It won an award for Excellence in Health and Wellness.”
Cloth Connection Outreach Charity is a nonprofit based in Farmington, Michigan dedicated to providing free reusable menstrual kits to those in need.
“I sew cloth pads and I donate them to Cloth Connection Outreach," she said. "And they will send them as kits to people. They're getting a whole cycle's worth of cloth pads for free.
“While there are wonderful organizations that provide disposable products, with options like cloth pads, cups, these types of things can be reused for about 10 years. It's not only sustainable for the environment, it breaks the cycle of poverty.”
Feminine products bad for environment: Are feminine products hurting the environment? See what the numbers, experts say
Manus said the cloth pads can be crafted depending on the individual's personality.
“It's nice because they can be customized to a person's personality or their flow,” she said. “Whether you're an animator, if you like princesses, dragons − the sky's the limit.”
Mrs USA Earth Executive Director Khia Moon Smith said this pageant is different from other pageants.
“Our system is very unique in that our delegates are able to pursue this environmental sustainability platform in any way, shape or form,” said Smith. “The goal of the Mrs USA Earth organization is to bring about awareness and more vigilance to saving our planet, environmental sustainability and environmental literacy. Each of the contestants in our pageant become advocates for our planet at the state and national level. They do this in various ways.”
The 2024 Mrs USA Earth national pageant was held Jan. 10-14 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. All participants had to complete an environmental service project to compete.
“Participants can pursue their passions, like Mrs Georgia has the cloth pads that she sews and to help end period poverty,” she said. “People don't realize how much disposable feminine products hurt our environment.
"There are participants that champion waterways, ocean marine sustainability, animal conservation, the idea of vegetarianism and veganism because of the carbon footprint and the fossil fuels that are emitted from meat production.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Grovetown resident shines light on sustainable living in beauty pageant
