From the life of the desert to the designer-catwalks. This is the life of Waris Dirie. Waris was born in the somalien desert. She was five years old and when her mother said: "Waris, you must become a woman!" Waris was very happy, because she didn't know what was going on exactly! She experiencend the Female Genital Mutilation. This is very painful and curel for a woman. Later, at about eithe years, her father said: "Waris, you must marry!" But she didn't want to marrry an old terrible man. And so she ran away! for some days and some nights, she had to live in the desert. Her plan was to find an aunt who lived in Mogdischu!

Two years later, an ungle who lived in London, came to Mogadischu to look for a nanny. After two Weeks, Waris lived in London b her ungle. Soon the famiy went back to Somalia, but Waris stayed in London. She didn't want to go back. She worked for Mc Donalds, but the the salary was good!

A dream of her , was to be a model, and on a sunny day, a man got her a casting. She was very happy but nervous too, because her english was not very good and she couldn't read well. This was her breakthrough! For many years she wored as a model. She was and is a very beautiful woman.

1995, the BBC proposed making a documentary about her lif as a supermodel. She told the directior, that she would do it he took her back to Somalia and helped her find her mother. That was the last time she saw her.

At the endd of the year 1995, she met a man in a tini jazz club in New York, and she knew: "That is the right man for me!" His name was Dana Murray. And really, soon Waris and Dana get married! June the 13th in the year 1997, that was the date of the birth of their baby called "Aleeke".

Now, Waris isn't an model any more. Now she fights aganst the Femal genital mutilation. She works as a UNO-embassador.

by Andrea Auer