San Pedro’s Queen of the Bay Candidate Promotes Self-Worth Through ‘Embrace Her Belize’

This year’s Queen of the Bay San Pedro, 17-year-old Zsaphirrah (Safira) Coleman, who was crowned and sashed on June 27th, has already launched a community-focused platform as she prepares for the Belize Queen of the Bay Pageant on August 29th. Coleman, who studies architecture at Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College in Corozal, recently hosted a weeklong girls’ camp on the island as part of her Embrace Her Belize initiative.
The camp ran from Monday, August 3rd, through Friday, August 7th, concluding with a celebration and photoshoot. It was built around daily themes designed to teach self-worth, confidence, and community service. Activities included tower-building challenges, slime-making, runway practice, and sessions where participants identified empowering words and positive qualities in friends. The camp also organized the preparation of a food basket for donation, teaching participants the importance of giving back while receiving support.
Coleman explained that the Embrace Her Belize initiative grew out of personal experiences and conversations about the challenges she and her family faced. She shared that being bullied about her body image and witnessing her mother’s difficulty finding employment while wearing a hijab inspired her to create a platform centered on acceptance, confidence, and visibility. Embrace Her Belize officially launched in July, with workshops and camp programming beginning shortly afterward. According to Coleman, her mother chose the initiative’s name to reflect the importance of self-acceptance and of embracing others in the community.
Speaking during an interview on August 5th, Coleman described her journey since being crowned as “an amazing journey,” highlighting the opportunity to spend each morning with the girls and lead interactive activities. “This camp is honestly just being able to interact with the girls and show them that they are enough and that they don’t need to change the way they are for anybody else,” Coleman said.
She explained that the activities combine fun, creativity, and community service to help participants understand their value while encouraging them to make a positive difference in their community. Her message to the public was simple but heartfelt. “You are enough, and no matter what, you are cared for and you will always be enough… You never have to face it alone.”
Queen of the Bay San Pedro Coordinator Phillip Ramsey outlined the preparations ahead as Coleman gets ready for pageant week, which begins on August 23rd. A sashing ceremony will be held in Corozal before the national pageant on August 29th. Ramsey said this year’s national theme, inspired by the Met Gala, will celebrate Belizean heritage while allowing each municipality to showcase its unique identity. San Pedro’s costumes will incorporate sand and island-inspired elements to represent the island on the national stage. Coleman has also been undergoing intensive training in walking, posture, and stage presentation.
Ramsey believes that Coleman’s dedication, extensive preparation, carefully coordinated wardrobe, and meaningful community platform could position her to become San Pedro’s first Queen of the Bay Belize winner. Regardless of the outcome, Coleman hopes Embrace Her Belize will continue to inspire young women to recognize their self-worth, embrace their individuality, and make a positive impact within their communities.