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MISS EARTH REUNION ISLAND
SHANEL MALOUDA
DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD/GROWING YEARS
When I was 8, I moved to Reunion Island to join my stepfather and his children, leaving behind my friends, my primary school and the town of my childhood. It was difficult when I first left, but as soon as I arrived, I felt right at home. I made new friends, discovered all the different cultures on the island and learned to live together. I loved growing up on Réunion Island while learning to live as a blended family.
WHAT IS YOUR MEMORABLE MOMENT?
The most memorable moments were the births of my little brothers and sisters. Their birth united the family. I was with my mother from the waiting room until she left the maternity ward. My mum first had my twin sisters, with whom I'm 10 years apart, and then my little brother, with whom I'm 11 years apart. I've always been a sort of second mother to them, looking after them from birth.
ANY SPECIAL STORIES OR FACTS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?
My family is a blended family of 10. My mother is from France, my father is Guyanese and Chinese and my father-in-law is from Reunion Island.My family places a great deal of importance on helping people in need. Whenever we can, we cook meals and take them to the homeless.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE?
I was able to take a pirogue tour on the maroni to go on the countries bordering French Guiana, such as Suriname, Brazil and the Salvation Islands.I was able to swim in the river that separates Guyana from Suriname when I was a child. Today it is forbidden to swim in it because it is polluted by the illegal activities of gold hunters.
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE TO PROMOTE ECOTOURISM & CLIMATE CHANGE?
Tourism is important because it contributes to the economy, but it can also have an impact on the ecology. That's why it's important to promote ecotourism, to make tourists aware of the need to protect the environment, create communities around ecotourism and the ecologically-friendly activities available in the countries they are visiting, such as diving, hiking, canyoning and exploring natural parks. Some destinations offer the possibility of naming a plantation after themselves.On Reunion Island, ecotourism is an important issue, particularly as we have many hiking trails that we need to preserve by raising awareness among tourists and locals alike.A guide can be used to raise awareness. It's also a question of using carbon-neutral means of transport as much as possible at the destination, such as bicycles.
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY?
What makes me proud of my region is the way we live together. We live together respecting each other's cultures and religions. What makes me proud of my region is to see in the same street a church, a mosque, a Chinese temple or a Hindu temple, and that all these communities support each other. Finally, I'm proud of the way we pass on our history and of our interbreeding.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVOCACY?
I'm fighting deforestation because it's an ecological scourge that has existed for too long, destroying the lungs of our planet: the Amazon. Of course, this scourge does not only concern this region. Deforestation is destroying our ecosystems, destroying the development prospects of future generations. Deforestation is man destroying the earth and himself.