Mary Ukech was a little South Sudanese child who lived in a refugee camp in northern Kenya. She fled war-torn Sudan with other family members. Her flight for safety gave her a lucky break in modelling.

Opportunity

Though Mary Ukech’s genes got her friend to nudge her into their secondary school modelling club, she was reluctant. “I’m not cut out for this,” she whispered to her friend the first day she joined the group. She had a degree in sight. She did not want any distractions to that ambition.

Standing at five feet nine inches, her high cheekbones and height caught the eye of the club’s young president. Ukech decided to enjoy the fun time with other students like her. “Nothing wrong with adding other fun skills to my degree certificate”, she shrugged.

However, in 2020 while she was an undergraduate of University of Nairobi, Kenya, Skimmer Models Africa, snapped her up. And Mary’s life changed forever. School is on hold for now.

And so, in the past three years , the little South Sudanese refugee is living the dream of many, many girls. Mary is now the latest runway rave. She has made the cover of several international fashion magazines, including Vogue Japan.

Sigh. Why can we all not have this break into the international world of success? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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