Princes of the South by Justin Anantawan for French Fries F/W 2021/22 issue #4
Following in the footsteps of Alek Wek, Adut Akech, Afrekh and Duckie Thot, many South Sudanese refugees are aspiring to become top models in the fashion industry. The journey to success however is not easy, made difficult by road blocks like poverty, delays in getting visas and passports, discrimination and a lack of modelling opportunities. The four models in this editorial, Gai Manyok, Ajak Deng, Chuol Kong and Wucheng Lado all hail from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, home to 200,000 refugees. I interviewed Manyok, who is 19-years old and was born at the camp, about his experiences being a refugee in Kenya and pursuing a modelling career.
Photography: Justin Anantawan / justin_anantawan
Styling: James Ohanga / jimmytruth_
Models: Gai Manyok / gaimanyok
@ MyBooker Models
Ajak Deng / ajakdengchol
Wucheng Lado / wucheng.lado
@ Want Model Management
Chuol Kong / chuolkong1
Shot in Kikuyu, Kenya
What was it like for you growing up as a young South Sudanese refugee who had been born in Kakuma Refugee Camp?
Growing up, I would hear stories about South Sudan from my elders at the camp. I was not born in South Sudan so they gave me the only insight into my homeland. They told me about the civil war, the fighting between the South Sudanese and the Arabs, about witnessing people getting killed and villages being destroyed. They also told me about my father who had died in the war before I was born. They told me that he was hard working and the strongest person in the village.
After my father was killed, my mother travelled to Kakuma while she was pregnant with me. I was born on March 3, 2002 at Kakuma Hospital. Life growing up in the camp was difficult. I lived with my mother and four siblings in a single room house made out of mud. There was a constant scarcity of food and I would often go to school hungry, walking there without any shoes. My mom worked as a tailor to provide for us. She has been deaf since before I was born – she was bitten by a dog in South Sudan, got sick and lost her hearing.
What are some difficulties that South Sudanese Refugees experience living in Kenya?
We are harassed and targeted by the police and soldiers. If we want to travel to Nairobi from Kakuma, we need to pass through checkpoints. We are supposed to show the soldiers and police a passport or a refugee manifest. However, even if we do, they still force us to pay bribes to pass or else they put us in jail. I have been sent to jail before and recently I was assaulted by a soldier at a checkpoint when he tried to force me to pay a bribe and I stood up for myself and said no.
We are also at times discriminated against by local Kenyans. For example, my cousin and I were out at night returning from a birthday party. When we boarded a transport vehicle home, my cousin asked an elderly man for a space to sit but the man refused. They were talking loudly and the driver thought they were fighting. He stopped the vehicle and forced us out and told people on the street that we were causing trouble. The Kenyans then ganged up on us as a mob and beat us and robbed us of our shoes.
It is difficult for Sudanese people to get jobs in Kenya and make a living. I have never had a job in Kenya.
Healthcare is scarce and inadequate at Kakuma Refugee Camp. My sister recently had a swollen leg because of a thorn she stepped on. When she went to the hospital the Kenyan doctors immediately said that they wanted to cut off her leg without doing any tests. Luckily, the leg has gotten better and they did not need to remove it, but she still feels pain and cannot go to school.
Sweater GUCCI
Trousers ZARA
Shoes WALT
How did you get into modelling?
As a teenager, I began thinking that I needed to find a way to change my life. I saw that my cousin Deu Thiong was getting into modelling and I told him that I wanted to try it as well. He took polaroids of me and sent them to a mother agency in Nigeria called MyBooker Models. The agent Uchenna, when he saw the pictures, liked me and sent me a contract. I was 17 years old. Since then, I have been learning everything about the fashion industry, doing photo shoots, modelling for designers and appearing in a music video for Octopizzo. This has been preparing me to eventually travel overseas to Europe to work as a model.
What have been some challenges you have faced as an aspiring South Sudanese fashion model?
In order to work overseas, I need to get a visa. But getting a visa is difficult for South Sudanese refugee models, especially if you don’t have the right connections. In June, I was given a visa to go model in the UK but it got cancelled. When that happened I became very depressed.
Also it is hard for us South Sudanese models to get a passport. We can wait for six months. When I applied for my passport I was told I was going to get it in three months but it took half a year. As well, almost all the shoots I do are unpaid and there are not many fashion shows in Kenya to walk in.
In Kakuma Refugee Camp, there is no modelling industry. In order to do shoots and get experience, we need to go to Nairobi. However, it is difficult to get a fare to take a bus to the city and find a place to stay if you do not have relatives or friends there. I have been lucky to be able to stay with friends.
What gives you hope and the strength to continue pursuing a modelling career?
God helps me. I believe when you pray harder God listens. I believe that He has a plan for me. Sometimes, when modelling gets difficult, I want to give up. However, Virgil Abloh keeps me going. He follows me on Instagram and has sent me encouraging messages, telling me to “keep killing it”. As long as Virgil believes in me, I can continue believing in myself. My mom also encourages me to continue to model. When I started modelling, she told me to believe in what I am doing and that I will one day get to where I am supposed to be.
from left to right
Trousers on Gai LEVIS
Trousers on Wucheng BARTLETT, Belt: VINTAGE
Trousers on Ajak CALVIN KLEIN
Trousers on Chuol VERSACE JEANS COUTURE, Belt: VINTAGE
Which models and designers inspire you?
A model who inspires me is Abdul Ayeniang. He came from Senegal and has modelled all over the world. He has worked very hard to get to where he is. Virgil Abloh is the designer who inspires me the most. He is a creative genius and his work is unique. He is a role model and is paving the way for more black fashion designers to make it in the industry.
When you make it in the industry, what will be your dream jobs?
I would love to be in ID magazine and Vogue. I would love to walk for Louis Vuitton, Off-White, Dior and more.
What life lessons has modelling taught you?
Patience.
What are your hopes for yourself and other South Sudanese Refugees?
My dream for myself is to be successful and inspire other refugees at Kakuma. I also want to be able to support my family. I also hope for peace and love in South Sudan so that there will be no war and we refugees can return to our motherland.
Sweater TOPMAN
Trousers CALVIN KLEIN
Shoes LOUBOUTIN