Adut Akech: Model Who Grew up In Kenyan Refugee Camp Celebrates Buying First House In US
- Growing up as a child in a Kenyan refugee camp, the future of South Sudanese Adut Akech may have looked bleak
- That, however, changed when she relocated to Australia and not only became a professional model but also joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- At the age of 21, the model became a new homeowner in the US, a milestone that she celebrated on Instagram
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South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech recently shared the news that she finally became a homeowner in the United States.
Born in South Sudan on Christmas Day of 1999, Akech found herself in a Kenyan refugee camp while still a small baby.
Life, however, looked up when she, alongside her mom and five siblings relocated to Australia as refugees.
At age 16, Akech got into professional modelling after being signed by Chadwick Models in Sydney, making her the second black model in history to have a bridal spot in a Chanel couture show.
Woman who used to wash toilets to make money succeeds, now owns a big 5-star hotel, she speaks in video
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Apart from modelling, Akech also works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees where she champions the rights of refugees worldwide.
Bought a house
From the look of things, the 21-year-old is scaling to greater heights as she recently announced that she had bought her first house.
According to Daily Mail, the house located in Los Angeles is worth $3.7 million (KSh 407 million) and has five bathrooms, an open-plan living area, as well as a spa.
"I’m usually quiet about personal things like this. I would just be moving in silence but this one is too big an achievement and a proud moment for me to not share with the world. I cannot believe that at 21 years old I’m a proud owner of a house," she wrote on Instagram.
She added that whenever she sits back to reflect on her life and the things she has achieved within her career and personal life, she feels proud of herself for staying focused and working hard to get there.
She further alluded to the fact that the achievements are constant reminders of how blessed and fortunate she is.
"For that, I’m beyond grateful to God, my family, and the people in my life who courage me to keep pushing," she reiterated.
In her concluding remarks, Akech thanked the people who have given her the opportunities that have led to her success while appreciating the supporters who motivate her every day.
Former Refugee traces kind Kenyan nurse who treated him 30 years ago
In another case of an individual rising from a refugee camp to greatness, Briefly News recently shared the story of Mohamed Jama who fled Somalia in 1991 due to civil strife.
Having suffered severe burns on most parts of his body, Jama was lucky to meet Florence Lintari in Isiolo who not only treated but also took care of him.
He managed to move to the US on a repatriation program and studied medicine, thanks to the nurse whose kindness touched him.
After finding his footing abroad, Jama started a charity organization and recently came back to Kenya after 30 years to look for Florence as the manager of the Kenyan branch.
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Lebogang Mashego (Current Affairs HOD) Lebogang Mashego runs the Current Affairs desk. She joined the Briefly News team in 2021. She has 6 years of experience in the journalism field. Her journalism career started while studying at Rhodes University, where she worked for the Oppidan Press for 3 years. She worked as a lifestyle writer and editor at W24 and Opera News. She graduated with a BA degree majoring in Journalism and Media Studies in 2017. She's a recipient of the INMA Elevate Scholarship. Email: lebogang.mashego@briefly.co.za