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About
Somali model, human rights activist, and actress known for her modeling career in the 1980s and 1990s and for her activism and work towards ending female genital mutilation (FGM), also called female circumcision. She is the founder and head of the Desert Flower Foundation, which supports healthcare clinics and educational facilities for victims of FGM.
Before Fame
She spent her early childhood helping raise sheep and finding food and water. She ran away from home when she was 13 years old to escape an arranged marriage with a 60-year-old man. She was able to live with an uncle who lived in England, and she began learning English and working as a housemaid to survive. She was recruited when she was 18 years old to model in 1983. She had a successful modeling career by 1987.
Trivia
Her modeling career was chronicled in the documentary A Nomad in New York (1995). She is the author of the autobiography Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad (1998) and the author of the books Desert Dawn (2002) and Desert Children (2005).
Family Life
She was born and raised in Galkayo, Somalia. She was one of twelve children.
Associated With
She received the Women's World Award from Mikhail Gorbachev in 2004 and admission to the Legion of Honour by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.
