You can say a lot about Waris Dirie. She is an extraordinary woman who, despite her terrible childhood, never gave up and always pursued her goals with determination. In her life, she was an actress, model, activist, but also a mother and friend. Her story can inspire, but it often brings tears to the eyes. It’s hard to believe that all this really happened.
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She was born in Somalia. She lived in a nomad tribe
Waris Dirie, whose name means “Desert Flower”, was born in 1965 in a Somali nomadic tribe. However, we do not know the exact date of her birth, due to a completely different way of calculating time. The nomadic tribe from which Waris comes does not use the Gregorian calendar. They rather pay attention to the rainy and dry seasons. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible to determine the exact date of birth of the woman. Waris’s father was a shepherd, while his mother, who came from an influential Somali family, helped him with the breeding. Unfortunately, in the tribe from which Waris comes, there was (and perhaps still is, because there is no confirmation of the cessation of this practice) the custom of circumcising girls at a young age. For this reason, when Waris turned five years old, a ritual was carried out, which the woman later described in a book called “Desert Flower”.
I looked between my legs and saw the healer getting ready for work. Staring blankly at me, she reached into a bag made from a piece of old cloth. I followed her movements because I was very curious what she would cut me with. I expected a large knife, but she pulled out a small cloth bag, fished out a broken razor blade, and examined it carefully. The sun was still below the horizon. Colors were already appearing around us, and though the details of the image were blurred, I could see dried blood on the jagged blade. The healer spat on the razor and began to wipe it on her dress. At that moment my eyes went dark – it was my mother who covered them with a scarf. And then I found out what it’s like when they cut out a body part. I heard the sound of a blunt instrument cutting back and forth against my own skin. When I remember it, I simply cannot believe that I experienced it myself. As if it was someone else. It cannot be described in words of any language. It’s like having your arm or leg cut off live, except that arm or leg is the most sensitive part of your body. Even so, I didn’t even flinch because I remembered Aman and knew there was no turning back. And I wanted my mom to be proud of me. I sat petrified, telling myself that the less I moved, the shorter it would be. Eventually, however, my legs stopped listening to me and twitched alarmingly. I started asking God to end it all. He listened to me – I fainted.
– . Although she survived the bestial ritual, it is worth mentioning that other girls from her family were not so lucky. A sister and a cousin died shortly after the tragic surgery was performed on them. However, this was not the end of the hell that her own family gave young Waris. When the woman turned 13, her father decided to marry her. Then she decided to run away.
She was circumcised at the age of 5. Eight years later, she decided to run away
Although the trauma and memories of the nightmare experienced by young Waris accompanied her throughout her life, the family at that time prepared another tragic idea for her. When the woman turned thirteen, her father informed her that she was getting married soon. Her future spouse was to be a 61-year-old man. This was the moment when Waris said enough was enough. Her mother came to her aid and directed her daughter to Galcaio, where her uncle lived, and then to Mogadishu, where she was to meet her family. Shelter was waiting for her in both places. Thus, only thirteen-year-old Waris began her journey through the deserts. , the woman recalls that during her journey she encountered an unusual, but also very dangerous situation, which has given her strength to this day. When one day she woke up under a tree, she realized with horror that a lion was circling around her. The animal did not take its eyes off the girl. After a while, however, it simply walked away, leaving her alone. At that moment, Waris thought that if she survived something like this, her life must have some meaning. This event gave her strength and determination for the years to come.
She managed to reach Mogadishu. There she met the rest of her family for the first time. Initially, the girl took up basic and easy, but demanding work. Among other things, she helped in her aunts’ house, but for a while she was even a construction helper. In Mogadishu, she also met the husband of her mother’s sister, Mohammed Chan Farah, who was the Somali ambassador to London. It was thanks to him that Waris ended up in Great Britain, where she worked as an embassy maid. There she also met another girl from Somalia, thanks to whom she later found another job. Even though she didn’t know much English, she managed to get a job at McDonald’s. At the age of 18, Waris decided not to return to Somalia. As it turned out later, it was one of the best decisions in her life.
From working in fast food to modeling. Waris Dirie was noticed by a famous photographer
Although working at McDonald’s wasn’t easy, Waris was grateful for the chance she had been given. As it turned out later, the world had much more in store for her. Soon, the woman met a photographer on one of London’s streets. Although she did not fully realize who the man was, it soon turned out that he was not just anyone. The photographer was none other than Terence Donovan, who was known throughout the fashion world. The man immediately fell in love with the beauty of Waris. Thanks to this, in 1987, a completely new face appeared on the cover of the Pirelli calendar. From that moment, the whole fashion world was amazed by her extraordinary beauty. The career of a freshly baked model quickly gained momentum. Waris has participated in a large number of advertising campaigns. However, the road to achieve all this was not a bed of roses. After all, Waris didn’t have a British passport, and Somali didn’t give her many options.
Forced marriage. This is how Waris Dirie fought for a British passport
Although the whole fashion world was asking about Waris, unfortunately she had a huge problem with taking any job. The reason was, in fact, the lack of appropriate documents. The woman only had a Somali passport, which did not allow her to travel much in Europe, and she could only dream of going to the United States. However, Waris found a solution to her problem. She decided to marry her British friend’s brother. A year of such a marriage allowed her to obtain the relevant documents. However, the road was not easy. The relationship with Nigel (because that was the man’s name) was not a peaceful one. Although both sides tried to reach an agreement, cultural differences and divergence of characters made the time they spent as a couple very difficult for them. However, they managed to survive and after a year, Waris got the coveted English passport. Thus, in 1991, the woman left Great Britain and embarked on a journey into the unknown. This is how she came to the United States, where she received her first orders from brands such as Benetton and Levi’s.
Waris did not slow down. Until 2003, she was a UN ambassador
Waris’ career has only been gaining momentum since then. The woman took part in dozens of advertising campaigns. She worked for brands such as Chanel, Levi’s, Revlon and L’Oreal and was a star of the catwalks in Milan, New York, London and Paris. She has worked on the catwalk with Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer, among others. She was on the covers of the most important fashion magazines such as “Elle”, “Glamour” and “Vogue”. However, Waris did not end her career only with modeling. She also managed to appear in the James Bond film “The Living Daylights”, where she played a “Bond girl”. Difficult childhood experiences made her want to fight for women’s rights and against ritual mutilation of their genitals. Fate made it possible for her. In 1997, Waris gave a very important interview for the magazine “Marie Claire”, which shocked the world. In it, the woman told how she was circumcised at the age of five. Thanks to this confession, in the same year she became the ambassador of the United Nations. This is how Waris began the fight against ritual female genital mutilation in Third World countries. Until 2003, she remained a UN ambassador. In 2002, she founded her own foundation Waris Dirie (which was renamed the Flower of the Desert Foundation in 2010), thanks to which it is still possible to fight the beastly ritual. The organization primarily conducts preventive activities, but also raises awareness and repairs damage. The Foundation has no hesitation in helping anyone who has been injured by a dangerous ritual.
Waris Dirie was in love with the Polish sea. She lived in Gdańsk for many years
What is Waris Dirie doing today? It absolutely does not slow down. To this day, she devotes her life to the fight for women’s rights and strongly opposes their mutilation. Family is also an important aspect of her life. Waris has two sons – Aleeke and Leon, with whom she is very close. It is also worth mentioning that she lived in Poland and mentioned that she is madly in love with the Polish sea. What’s more, she had the opportunity to meet Lech Wałęsa and even become his neighbor. It was in Poland that her son Leon was born.
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Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
