By Joab Apollo
Before the finalists for the 2013 Top Model Worldwide title held in London on 13th April, 2013, were announced, few Kenyans knew of Everline Aboka.
Aboka, christened by her late father as “nyarber”, luo word for beauty, first had an experience in modeling while still a baby when she participated in a Kindergarten Fashion Show in Kisumu town.
Behind the facade of the thrill and glamour that characterized the grand finale of the 2013 Top Model Worldwide, is a tale of resilience and determination in Aboka, whose passion for children has been manifested as a Sunday school teacher since 2003.
She lost her father to meningitis while in form 3 and was forced to drop out of school due to lack of school fees.
“I dropped out of school in Form 3”
“This was a turning point to my life. My mom then a businesswoman was struggling, my brothers were as well tarmacking. I wished to go back to school but it seemed impossible,” she told IQ4News
She searched for well wishers in vain before she could turn to her other passion, plaiting and offering tuition to school children in Nyalenda slum, Kisumu. She used a portion of the earnings to fend for her family and saved the rest.
In 2005, Aboka used her savings and Ksh. 5000 from a cousin to register as a private candidate for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Exams (KCSE), but his dream of being a lawyer was dimmed, having stayed out of school for a long time.
“Since I left school in first term in form 3, I did not know much neither could I afford a tutor, I therefore used Kisumu public library as my class and the old edition books there as my tutor. Come examination time I scored a grade considered by K.N.E.C as an average score, shuttering my dreams to studying law,” she said.
In 2006, Aboka secured a scholarship offered by Kisumu Town West Member of Parliament, Hon. Olago Aluoch, to study Journalism and Mass Communication at Woodvale institute in Kisumu.
Her modeling career has bristled with success: In 2005, she won the Miss Tuungane Youth Project, an organization that promotes talents and creates awareness on reproductive health in the slums of Kisumu, where she grew up in.
She won the Miss International Women’s day in a row, in 2006 and 2007, and went ahead to audition for the M-Net Face of Africa where she represented Kenya in the boot camp in Zimbabwe and the finals, which were held in South Africa. But she did not make it to the finals.
“I was eliminated from the house at the boot camp level” she stated.
She searched for well wishers in vain before she could turn to her other passion, plaiting and offering tuition to school children in Nyalenda slum, Kisumu. She used a portion of the earnings to fend for her family and saved the rest.
In 2005, Aboka used her savings and Ksh. 5000 from a cousin to register as a private candidate for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Exams (KCSE), but his dream of being a lawyer was dimmed, having stayed out of school for a long time.
“Since I left school in first term in form 3, I did not know much neither could I afford a tutor, I therefore used Kisumu public library as my class and the old edition books there as my tutor. Come examination time I scored a grade considered by K.N.E.C as an average score, shuttering my dreams to studying law,” she said.
In 2006, Aboka secured a scholarship offered by Kisumu Town West Member of Parliament, Hon. Olago Aluoch, to study Journalism and Mass Communication at Woodvale institute in Kisumu.
Her modeling career has bristled with success: In 2005, she won the Miss Tuungane Youth Project, an organization that promotes talents and creates awareness on reproductive health in the slums of Kisumu, where she grew up in.
She won the Miss International Women’s day in a row, in 2006 and 2007, and went ahead to audition for the M-Net Face of Africa where she represented Kenya in the boot camp in Zimbabwe and the finals, which were held in South Africa. But she did not make it to the finals.
“I was eliminated from the house at the boot camp level” she stated.
Top Model
Even though she made it to the main show of the Miss World Kenya House with the hope of winning the Miss World title, she did not reach the finals. But this never diminished her dream, for she moved to Canada where she has now cut a niche as a top world model.
Before shifting to Canada in 2012, the Calgary city-based super-model had modeling stints for designers and fashion houses in Nairobi.
“I had a chance to model for different designers and fashion houses namely: Lucy Rao's Rialto Fashions, Vaishali Morajia, Dola Fashions and Kiko Romeo,” she said
Having founded HOPE Africa Initiatives, an organization that supports street children, orphans and widows in Nyalenda slums, Kisumu, she now has her dreamed trained on setting up a rescue for street children in the Lake side city.
“My heart weeps at the thought that they are cold, hungry and thirsty while our society is not doing anything. Some people condemn these children but to me they are angels in our midst.” She said
Aboka credits all her achievements to God.
“I believe that God is the one who has made me whom I am and I give him all the glory always" she added.
Before shifting to Canada in 2012, the Calgary city-based super-model had modeling stints for designers and fashion houses in Nairobi.
“I had a chance to model for different designers and fashion houses namely: Lucy Rao's Rialto Fashions, Vaishali Morajia, Dola Fashions and Kiko Romeo,” she said
Having founded HOPE Africa Initiatives, an organization that supports street children, orphans and widows in Nyalenda slums, Kisumu, she now has her dreamed trained on setting up a rescue for street children in the Lake side city.
“My heart weeps at the thought that they are cold, hungry and thirsty while our society is not doing anything. Some people condemn these children but to me they are angels in our midst.” She said
Aboka credits all her achievements to God.
“I believe that God is the one who has made me whom I am and I give him all the glory always" she added.
Top Model Worldwide entails working with bid designers and industry players worldwide by being part of the fashion week talk of the London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion week and beyond. As the winner, she will be part of the Children with Cancer UK, a charitable cause supported by the Top Model Worldwide organizers.
http://www.iq4news.com/iq4news/kenya-winner-2013-top-model-worldwide-title-everline-aboka-plans-build-rescue-home-street-ch
http://www.iq4news.com/iq4news/kenya-winner-2013-top-model-worldwide-title-everline-aboka-plans-build-rescue-home-street-ch
No comments:
Post a Comment