Halima Aden: How I went from child refugee to international model
هەلیمە ئەدین: چۆن لە منداڵێکی پەنابەرەوە بومە کچە مۆدێلێکی جیهانی
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
refugee camp feels so surreal,
،کاکومە لە ڕاستی ناچێت
seven years of my life.
ئەوە سەریان سوڕماوە
here at Kakuma.
for a brighter future.
.ئایندهیهكی گهش ههبوو
have our obstacles.
مهلاریا نهخۆش دهكهوتم
where our next meal would come from.
that is here in Kakuma
I remember conflicts breaking out.
.ئاژاوەکان سەریان هەڵدا
come from different backgrounds
some of their cultures,
even though I was raised Muslim.
.هەرچەندە ئیسلامیش بووم
my culture as well,
.منەوە نوێژیان دەکرد
to come together,
multicultural environment.
.بێهاوتا و فرەکلتور
Somali-American from Kenya.
.سۆماڵی ئەمریکیم لە کینیا
homecoming queen at my high school,
senator at my college
سۆماڵی بووم لە کۆلیچ
woman in many places,
beauty pageant,
،لە ئاهەنگی جوانی
and New York Fashion Weeks
و هەفتە مۆدێلی نیو یۆرک
of British "Vogue."
.بهریتانیش
to step out on my own,
،نوێ بنێم بۆخۆم
a minority is about.
as a vessel to create change
for the power of diversity.
an important message of acceptance.
.پەیامە گرینگە پەسندکراەوکانم
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
،لویس، و ماڵی میسۆریمان، دروستكرد
"Is this really America?"
"ئەوە بەڕاستی ئەمریکایە؟"
that were sadly familiar,
that were also very different.
that brings people together."
".بەیەکەوە کۆدەکاتەوە
didn't have an English immersion program.
.پڕۆگرامی ئینگلیزی نەبوو
than return to Kakuma,
that many Somalis found refuge
پەناگەیان دۆزیوەتەوە
we moved to Minnesota.
other students who spoke Somali,
،بە سۆماڵی قسەدەکەن
an English immersion program
پرۆگرامی ئینگلیزی بوو
above and beyond,
and lunch breaks,
find success in the classroom.
that one could be stripped of everything:
:دەتوانێت له هەموو شت بێبهش بێت
could ever take away from you
within the classroom.
.بهگهشانهوه كرد
I became more aware of others
ئاگاداری ئەوانەی دیکە بووم
my race and background.
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
.کە پێی دەڵێن سەر پۆش
wearing it, I was excited.
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
.دەمویست وەک ئەو جوان بم
about not having hair,
،پێدەکردم کە قژم پێوە نییە
but something I felt pressured to do.
.بەڵام هەستم کرد پێویستە بیکەم
of race, religion, identity,
،و ناسنامە، دەکەمەوە
those of another culture
ئەوانی دیکە تاوانبار بکەم
that have happened to me
هات بۆ گۆڕینی ژیانم
who are different than me.
.کە لە من جیاوازترن
to step outside of my comfort zone
ئەو هەرێمە ئاسودەیەی خۆم
wearing a hijab and burkini.
.لەبەرکردنی باڵاپۆشیم کرد
to be a voice for women
دەنگم بەو ئافرەتانەی
had felt underrepresented.
so many doors for me.
from women all over the world,
.جیهانەوە بەدەست گەیشتوە
by simply staying true to myself.
.بە ڕاستی مانەوەم لەگەڵ خۆم
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
ڕۆیتفیڵد بانگێشت کرام بۆ نیویۆڕك
the first hijab-wearing model,
،بومە یەکەم کچە مۆدێلی باڵاپۆش
of nine fashion magazines.
that remained constant --
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
،بگەڕێنێتەوە ئێرە کاکومە
something incredible happened to me.
.باوەڕپێنەکراو بەسەرمدا ڕویاندا
model Adut Akech,
،باکوری سودان کەوت
right here in Kakuma.
.لە کاکومە لەدایک ببێ
is the definition of hope.
.خۆیدا پێناسەیەکە بۆ هیوا
،پەنابەران لەدایک بوبێتن
on the cover of British "Vogue."
.بهریتانی بەیەک گهنیشتنهوه
of partnering up with UNICEF,
،هاوبەشیکردنم لەگەڵ یونسێف
that they do for children in need.
،پێویستیەکانی منداڵ بکرێت
here may be refugees,
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
هیواو خەونەکانیان
in Kakuma refugee camp,
،لە کەمپی پەنابەرانی کاکومە
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Halima Aden - ModelHalima Aden was the first ever hijab-wearing fashion model.
Why you should listen
Somali-American model Halima Aden was born in Kakuma, a refugee camp in Kenya, after her family fled civil war in Somalia. She lived there for seven years before traveling to the United States and settling in St. Louis. Though she spoke Somali and Swahili, Aden was thrust into an English-speaking school system that lacked a language immersion curriculum entirely. Despite this seeming detriment, she quickly found herself in advanced placement English classes in high school, outperforming her classmates and demonstrating the resilience that makes her a powerhouse today.
Aden first made headlines after competing in the Miss USA state pageant, wearing a hijab and sporting a burkini in the swimsuit portion of the competition -- a first in the 65-year history of the event. She finished among the top 15 finalists, and her performance caught the eye of Carine Roitfeld, who recruited her to appear in what was Aden's first editorial. The CR Fashion Book cover, however, came as a surprise to Aden and marked the beginning of a new cultural phenomenon. Since then, she has covered Vogue Arabia, British Vogue, Teen Vogue, Grazia UK, S Moda and Allure, in which the publication heralded her as an all-American beauty, a crucial acknowledgment for America's Muslim community. Aden's editorial credits also include Harper's Bazaar and Glamour, and she appeared on the runway for Yeezy, Alberta Ferretti, Max Mara, Philipp Plein and Dolce & Gabbana. Rihanna tapped her to appear in the campaign for her inclusive beauty brand, Fenty Beauty.
Aden was recently named an official UNICEF Ambassador. When she's not working, she covets time spent with family and friends on the couch indulging in Netflix marathons.
Halima Aden | Speaker | TED.com