Belize Claims Two Crowns at Miss Black International Pageant 

The new faces of the Miss Black International Ambassador (MBIA) pageant are bringing four very different stories to the international stage. Two of those four newly crowned ambassador titleholders are Belizeans. 

The four newly crowned ambassadors are Teen Black International Ambassador 2026 D’Ancy N Ramclam of Belize; Miss Black International Ambassador 2026 Khloe Thompson of Ghana; Ms Black International Ambassador 2026 Maryam Abdul-Quawiyy of Belize; and Mrs Black International Ambassador 2026 Kristy Wells of Texas.

The four queen ambassadors appeared during this morning’s episode of Open Your Eyes to discuss their roles and the work they hope to accomplish over the next year.

Abdul-Quawiyy said she felt the weight of representing Belize on stage. “I know I wasn’t only representing myself; I was representing Belize, I was representing ‘all ah we’. So I was like, ‘Belize has to look good,’ so I made sure I did my absolute best,” she said. Abdul-Quawiyy said the four will be working shoulder to shoulder in community leadership.

 

Meanwhile, the pageant’s ‘Mrs’ category also opens the competition to married women and mothers, and this year’s crowned Mrs is a proud grandmother. “It’s been an amazing experience,” Wells said. “You should never let age keep you from achieving your goals. I am over 40, and I am proud of it. So, I want to represent women over 40 and let them know that the sky is the limit and you can do whatever you want to. Age doesn’t matter.” 

While being over 40 and part of a pageant is inspiring, this year’s Teen Ambassador is 14-year-old D’Ancy N Ramclam. She’s using her new platform to encourage young women to pursue opportunities with confidence. “One of my dreams as well was showing the young women of Belize that opportunities can go so far, and you have to have confidence, and I am glad I was able to show them that you can have confidence and you can do what you want,” she said. The Belizean, who describes herself as “sportsy” rather than a traditional pageant girl, also hopes to expand the food and frozen drinks business she runs with her mother in Lord’s Bank Village. 

The fourth Queen Ambassador brings community leadership experience of her own. Khloe Thompson said she serves as a Queen Mother in her village in Ghana, Africa. And in her role as such, she works with youth and supports projects providing water pumps and bathroom facilities to schools. “Being a part of an organisation that is made for you, made for you to succeed and wants to see you succeed helps you grow within your work,” she said. 

The four ambassadors will now spend the next year travelling, participating in community service and promoting leadership initiatives. The ambassadors also revealed that part of the year ahead could also include visiting Ghana to be part of initiatives there as well. 

“We are hitting the ground, honey,” Abdul-Quawiyy said.