1. The bloom of a desert flower
Wallis Deerey, the top "Black Pearl" supermodel who was once highly regarded in the international fashion circle, is now over half a hundred years old, but her name still shines brightly.
As the first black female model to appear on the cover of fashion magazine Vogue, she has endorsed many international brands such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oreal and other catwalks, and her career has reached its peak.
However, behind this glory, there is a cruel experience. Born into a Somali pastoralist family, she was traumatized by circumcision at the age of 3, and since then, the pain has been holding her life like a shackle.
Although she broke new ground with her indomitable will, the nightmare of the past haunted her and prompted her to make a fateful decision to return to her birthplace and fight against circumcision until the very end of her life.
2. Wallis's early life
In 1977, 12-year-old Wallis embarked on the road of escape alone in order to escape an arranged marriage. She staggered barefoot through the desert, suffering from thirst and hunger along the way.
The sun scorched her delicate skin, and every step felt like exhausting all her strength. When night fell, she curled up in a ball, tears in her eyes, and her cries for her mother faded.
Back a few years ago, she was a carefree little girl, living an ordinary and happy life under the care of her parents despite her poor family. But fate completely changed the trajectory of her life on the day of her 3rd birthday.
It was supposed to be a day of celebration, but her mother took her to the middle of the desert. An old woman with a blank face was waiting there, and she coldly motioned for her mother to hold Wallis down.
Then, a filthy knife swept by, heart-rending screams resounded through the night sky, and Wallis's intimate parts were brutally cut off... Blood soon stained the sand beneath his feet.
From that moment on, the pain of circumcision was etched into her life like a scar that would never heal. Her first impression of the world was violence and destruction, and all this simply because she was born a girl.
3. The hard years in England
The escape journey was arduous and tortuous, but the girl Wallis gritted her teeth and persevered, and finally came to Mogadishu and found her grandmother's home. At first, my aunt was reluctant to accept this "trouble", but at her grandmother's insistence, she was allowed to go to the embassy in London and work as a maid.
Although the days were hard, at least they were much better than the years of struggling to survive in the desert. However, the good times did not last long, and in 1986, the Somali civil war broke out, and all the staff of the embassy in the UK were forced to evacuate and return to China.
Eighteen-year-old Wallis once again lost her livelihood and lives alone on the streets.
During the day, she rummaged through the garbage heap for food, hoping to find a scrap to satisfy her hunger; At night, she curled up on a cardboard on a street corner and begged passers-by in her broken English.
Cold, hunger, homelessness, these predicaments that she had never dreamed of were now falling on her young body without exception.
Just when she was about to despair, the little dawn of life finally showed. One day, Wallis meets Marilyn, a white girl, in a public toilet. Despite her awkward appearance, Marilyn was impressed by her sincere and kind qualities, and the two formed a rare friendship.
With Marilyn's help, Wallis found a job as a cleaner and had a basic source of livelihood. What's more, Marilyn patiently taught her English, and since then she is no longer a "dumb", she can communicate with the world around her, and slowly integrate into the local life.
Fourth, start a modeling career
In the days of working in a fast food restaurant, Wallis's tall and slim figure, ebony skin and melancholy eyes all attracted the attention of every passerby.
Once, the famous photographer Terrance was fascinated by her, and he was so excited that he directly handed out his business card, hoping to cooperate with this "black pearl".
At first, Wallis was at a loss for the profession of modeling. Under Terrance's guidance, she gradually unloaded her guard and learned to show confidence and calmness in front of the camera.
Although the overly exposed environment of the test shoot made her inevitably cramped, Terrance's professionalism soon put her at ease and showed her inner sunshine.
Thus, in 1987, her first blockbuster appeared on the cover of the "Pirelli Calendar", and her career began. In the blink of an eye, she successively endorsed international brands such as Chanel and Levi's in fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, and New York, and became one of the hottest black supermodels at the time.
But just when his career was at its peak, the issue of residency suddenly became a problem. In order not to be deported to Somalia, she had to enter into a bogus marriage with an unknown British man.
When night falls, Wallis huddles herself tightly and curls up in the corner of her bed, feeling terrified of being violated by her "husband". Even the nude shoot arranged for her by Terence, she accepted it without hesitation, just to obtain legal status and put down roots in the UK.
Under Terrance's lens, Wallis's unprecedented confidence and calmness undoubtedly add a different kind of charm to her. After the test shoot, Terrance was deeply impressed by the "black pearl", and he was ecstatic and realized that he had found a bright pearl.
5. Determination to oppose circumcision
Just as Wallis was at the peak of her career, a magazine interview in 1997 changed the course of her life forever. At that time, when the reporter asked "from a desert shepherdesss to a world supermodel, what unique experience do you have to share?" she fell into a long contemplation.
Yes, it is indeed a unique experience to go from a circumcised little girl to such an achievement today. So, she mustered up the courage to expose for the first time the painful story of her circumcision, and for the first time to expose the bad habit to the public, causing global shock.
Deep down, she is well aware that there are too many sisters like herself in her native Somalia who are also forced to endure this violence and devastation.
In this way, Wallis gave up the pinnacle of her career without hesitation and rushed back to Somalia to launch a massive campaign against circumcision. Through books and lectures, she has traveled far and wide across the continent to promote the idea.
Soon, her efforts were highly recognized and commended by the international community. In 2010, the African Union awarded her the high honour of "Ambassador of Peace" for her outstanding contribution to the abolition of circumcision; Prior to that, the United Nations had awarded her the title of "Anti-Circumcision Ambassador".
However, the spectre of circumcision still hangs over the continent. According to statistics, more than 6,000 adolescent girls still suffer from this nightmare trauma every day, and more than 200 million women around the world suffer from both physical and psychological trauma.
This is a battle that cannot be delayed, and Wallis is determined to fight until the last moment of her life.