Francesca Speranza came out on top among 20 contestants from all continents with a self-sustainable project for Environment.

LEUCA – She will make jams in a building confiscated from the Camorra in her city by planting fruit trees and realizing the concept of urban agriculture.

Francesca Speranza, 26 years old from Caserta, with her project self-financed through the sale of products, and which can already boast the support of a large group of volunteers, has won the eighth edition of Miss Progress International – Women support the World and allowed Italy to win the title for the first time.

The show was presented by the pageant director Giuseppe Borrillo and live streamed worldwide. Guest of honour of the show was the Colombian Vanesa Giraldo Lopez, winner of the last edition, who brought to fruition Almagua, her environmental project in support of the Amazonian Yaguas tribe and handed over the crown to Francesca directly from her hands.

With a degree in law, a trainee in a law firm and soon to specialize in international law thanks to her excellent knowledge of English and Spanish, Francesca beat off competition from nineteen other young contestants from five continents.
The winner will also receive financial support from the cultural association In Progress, chaired by Giusy Nobile, to launch her project.

Other prizes were also awarded: Andrea Pineda (Colombia) won the competition for the Health theme and for best traditional costume, Beatriz Awatin (Philippines) the one for Human Rights plus the special prize for the most popular on the web, and Puerto Rican Gabriela Monserrate got the award for Cultural Integration.

Thanks to the collaboration of the Inner Wheel Club of Tricase and Santa Maria di Leuca, 4,500 euro were collected for the Women’s Cancer Center run by the IEO-Monzino Foundation of Milan.

On the Miss Progress International’s YouTube channel it is possible to watch the short storytelling videos for each single day of the event.