A True Survivor! Our Motivation this week: The Somalian born Waris Dirie.

Waris was born into a nomadic family, in the deserts of Somalia. At age 5 , she went through the horrific Female Genital mutilation (FGM) ordeal. At the age of 13 she ran away from home, escaping an arranged marriage to a 60 years old man. She was determined that was not the life she wanted...

 After running on bare foot ,without food, water or shelter  for 3 weeks in the desert, and barely escaping been eaten by a Lion, she arrived in a city called Mogadishu, where her first job was at a construction site carrying sand. Then off she was to London with some relatives to become a house maid for 4 years. She later started working in McDonald, washing dishes and started attending classes to learn to speak , read and write in English.

     She was soon after discovered by a photographer that took photos of her, and  helped her secure her first glimpse at been a model. She went on to become a super model appearing in adverts for top brands like Chanel, Levis, L Oreal, Revlon. Appearing in Famous fashion magazines like Elle, Glamour and Italian , British and American Vogue. She has also appeared on the runways of London, Paris, Milan and New York. She even played a minor role in the James Bond Movie "The living daylights".

In 1997 she for the first time spoke up about the female genital  mutilation , and the health problems associated with it, which she has also faced as an adult. That same year she became the UN ambassador for the abolition of FGM . In 1998 she wrote her autobiography titled Desert Flower which became an international bestseller and was later made into a movie.
 Today she is a model, a social activist , an author and a UN ambassador.
Coming from an underprivileged background, fighting through life and finally making her way to the top is a true inspiration and motivation to any woman.

Be Inspired and don't forget to share with someone!