South Sudan’s Alek Wek is a global fashion icon whose popularity and influence has known no limits since she gained worldwide recognition and eminence almost two decades ago.Supermodel Wek did not start out with diamonds and pearls, but her inspiring journey which started from a civil war and the threat of death has landed her in the light of fame as one of the most recognized supermodels of all time.She is a known face in the modeling industry having done the catwalk for famous brands and fashion designers such as Chanel, Shiatzy Chen, Donna Karan, Calvin Klien, Jasper Conran and Ermanno Scervino. Wek has also done advertisements for big names like Issey Miyake, Victoria’s Secret, Clinique and Moschino.However, her life hasn’t been all glitz and glamour though.After fleeing Sudan as a teen in 1991 during the civil war of 1983, she made it to the UK and later settled in the United States where several years later, she would become an international name and a mentor to Sudanese youths.Fast forward to 2005: Sudan embraced a peace accord which has brought back many of its displaced citizens and reclaimed its lost lands. “I couldn’t be there when the independence took place, but I remember people were kissing the ground. It gave me goose bumps,” Wek told theGrio recalling the event which marked a turning point in the lives of many citizens of the country.Though the good news brought with it hope and joy, unfortunately, the South Sudanese are still going through difficult times as their return to their home land isn’t what they expected it to be. Currently, the refugee camps are overflowing with citizens who have no place else to go. Apart from the cramped tents and diseases there is a higher risk of death especially among children at these camps. TheGrio
