30May2025

Making a Difference Building Dreams Creating Impact Saving Lives

logotype

No products in the cart.

Contacts

HEAD OFFICE:                          548 Market Street,
San Francisco, CA 94104         USA

PROJECT OFFICE:                  Pearl Condo, Bldg A, 15 Fl., Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd.,      Yangon, Myanmar

hello@marykyapfoundation.org

US: +1 415 991 2030                 US: +1 415 799 8282                    MM: +95 9 977 66 7777

Tag: empowerment

162
INDIVIDUAL SPOTLIGHT

Miss World Venezuela – Ivian’s Story

An Orphan who became a Miss World Venezuela

 Ivian Colmenares

There are so many successful orphaned stories all around the world. 

The story of Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares, a Venezuelan model and beauty queen, who was orphaned at the young age of 8 and was raised by nuns, is one of the popular orphan stories. So why did a young little girl raised by the nuns become a successful beauty queen? 

Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares was born on November 6, 2011, in London, United Kingdom, and unfortunately lost both of her parents when she was 8. She was raised by nuns in a covenant in Cojedes for five years. This period was so influential that she once dreamt of becoming a nun. She eventually gave up the idea when she realized she wanted the fame and success that being a model could bring.

Ivian auditioned as Miss Amazonas in her country’s national beauty pageant, Miss. Venezuela 2010, on October 28, 2010, and was crowned Miss World Venezuela. She also won the Most Beautiful Face Award. 

On November 6, 2011, Ivian won the 2011 Miss World pageant at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. She was awarded as a third runner-up during the Miss World Beach Beauty and the fifth runner-up in Miss World Top Model, becoming the eventual winner of Miss World. She became the sixth woman from Venezuela to capture the title. In a press conference after her victory, she said, 

“This has taught me that life, although it may be bad, doesn’t have to end badly. Although I no longer have my parents, it has taught me to be stronger. I want to carry on doing the wonderful work that ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ and the Miss World organization does and to help people in need. I want to help people like me.” 

The foundation is proud of the successful orphans who have a passion and drive for excellence in every task they are given. Your outlook in life should not depend on your history in life. Ivian made a turnaround in her life in that no matter what happened in her early years; she had a positive outlook that she could be a successful model one day. Indeed, she achieved her dream of becoming Miss World 2011.

Eleanor 1
INDIVIDUAL SPOTLIGHT

A Champion for Women’s Rights

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt (The First Lady and an orphan)

 

The longest serving First Lady in US history, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, was born on October 11, 1884. At the early age of 8, Eleanor Roosevelt lost her mother, Anna Hall Roosevelt, due to diphtheria in 1892, while her father, Elliott Roosevelt, died of alcoholism. 

Eleanor lived with her maternal grandmother, Mary Hall, who sent Eleanor to Allenwood School, a progressive girls’ boarding school in London, England, in 1899.  Ms. Marie Souvestre, Allenswood ‘s Director, recognized Eleanor’s keen intellect, improving her self-confidence. As a result, she became a well-liked leader at a young age among her classmates.

Eleanor lived in the life of politics as her uncle, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the brother of her father, who assumed the 26th presidency (1901-1909) right after President McKinley was assassinated. She was then involved in different charity programs and contributed to volunteer settlement houses and social work, activities that reflected the service’s philosophy of the time spent at the Allenswood ‘Girl’s Boarding School, which molded Eleanor to appreciate and develop deeper insights into politics.  During this time, she fell in love with her fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who later became the 32nd President for four terms from 1933 and 1945.

Eleanor Roosevelt is commonly appraised as one of the influential American women of the 20th century.  In addition to serving as the First Lady of the United States for 12 years, she was a newspaper columnist, author, diplomat, and a great contributor to the League of Women Voters.   President Truman appointed her as the delegate of the United Nations General Assembly. In 1946, she joined as a member of the Human Rights Division, further cementing her position as one of the inspirational voices in the modern world.

 

Our Foundation is pleased to recognize the incredible ‘life celebrations of Eleanor Roosevelt.  Although she became an orphan young, she championed noble causes that embodied gender equality movements to be accepted worldwide.  In acknowledgment of her invaluable workaround ‘for women’s and human rights, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by President Kennedy, among others.