A beauty pageant winner, Marjorie Noreen Dunai, is undertaking a new challenge, that of serving humanity, by launching her own NGO, known as the Gracious Givers’ Foundation (GGF).
The resident of Upper Lumparing had won the Mrs Shillong 2019 and Mrs Seven Sisters 2020 titles.
“Although I thoroughly appreciate and embrace the popularity of these victories, personally I believe that these pageants are more than just beauty contests,” Dunai told Highland Post today.
“Winning these titles has triggered me to play a role in the community and a crown is meant to serve a purpose and not just be a showpiece in our living room. With that thought in my mind, I decided to contribute the prizes that I’ve won to an orphanage and to others who need it more,” she added.
Stating that this would never have been possible without the unwavering support and love of her husband, Evan Tariang, and her two children, Kennedy and Betsara, she said, “Since the Covid-19 pandemic began this year and life’s normalcy became uncertain, I and my husband took the initiative to visit the homes of the underprivileged, near and far, to help them with their basic necessities and with any kind of the contribution we could make.”
The GGF has 21 executive members who share the same views and have decided to work on humanitarian grounds by extending moral support to the public, irrespective of their backgrounds or religions, during this pandemic.
Some of the objectives of the foundation include to lessen the toll of poverty, promote the talents of the gifted, provide awareness about quality education to the underprivileged, raise funds for various events and to arrange for free medical camps.
It would also like action to be taken on other subjects, such as compiling proper lists of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and finding out their requirements, ensuring free education for the children of poor families until higher secondary level, job security for single parents and creating awareness on early families and the importance of small families.
“We hope that the objectives of the foundation would also encourage other groups to take necessary actions to help one another and to contribute generously towards building a better society,” Dunai said.
