Post a comment 
Miss World Sierra Leone 2026, Mariyam Lorba Konneh, has used the Miss World Head-to-Head Challenge to highlight the devastating impact of drug abuse and poverty in Sierra Leone.
During her presentation, the 22-year-old beauty queen shared her personal connection to the country’s drug crisis, revealing that poverty and substance abuse contributed to the death of one of her best friends during their school days.
Konneh said the experience motivated her to become an advocate for young people affected by drug abuse and addiction, while working to support vulnerable communities facing the combined challenges of substance abuse and poverty.
Through her Beauty with a Purpose project, titled “The Fight Against Drugs, Addiction, Poverty,” Konneh is focusing on some of the underlying social and economic conditions associated with drug abuse and addiction in Sierra Leone.
Her initiative includes the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind and Healthy Community Programme, which seeks to empower girls, women and vulnerable young people while supporting individuals affected by addiction.
According to Konneh’s presentation, her initiative has already rehabilitated nearly 300 women affected by addiction and supported them in efforts to overcome substance abuse and extreme poverty.
She told the Miss World audience that addressing drug abuse and poverty requires collective action, greater public awareness, compassion and sustained support for affected individuals and communities.
Konneh also expressed her ambition to take her anti-drug advocacy beyond Sierra Leone and onto the global stage, using the Miss World platform to draw international attention to the country’s growing drug crisis and its wider social consequences.
Her participation in the Head-to-Head Challenge has provided an international platform to highlight the challenges faced by young people affected by addiction and poverty, while drawing attention to the need for stronger interventions and support systems.
With her advocacy rooted in personal experience, Konneh is seeking to use her Beauty with a Purpose project and the Miss World platform to amplify the conversation around drug abuse, addiction and poverty, both in Sierra Leone and beyond.
