Waris Dirie is a Somali model, author, and human rights activist known for her work against female genital mutilation. She abandoned her modeling career to dedicate herself fully to combating this practice. Her commitment and voice in this cause have made her a significant figure in the international effort to eliminate FGM.
* Inspirational, dramatic and extraordinary - the autobiography of a Somalian nomad circumcised at 5, sold in marriage at 13, who became an American model and is now at the young age of 30, the UN spokeswoman against circumcision
Waris Dirie (the name means desert flower) lives a double life - by day she is a famous model and UN spokeswoman on women's rights in Africa, at night she dreams of her native Somalia. Waris, one of 12 children, was born into a traditional family of desert nomads in East Africa. She remembers her early childhood as carefree- racing camels and moving on with her family to the next grazing spot - until it came her turn to meet the old woman who administered the ancient custom imposed on most Somalian girls: circumcision. Waris suffered this torture when she was just five years old. Then, aged 12, when her father attempted to arrange a marriage with a 60 year old stranger in exchange for five camels - she took flight. After an extraordinary escape through the dangerous desert she made her way to London and worked as a maid for the Somalian ambassador until that family returned home. Penniless and speaking little English, she became a janitor in McDonalds where she was famously discovered by a fashion photographer. Her story is a truly inspirational and extraordinary self-portrait of a remarkable woman whose spirit is as breathtaking as her beauty.
Fashion model and UN ambassador Waris Dirie was born into a traditional family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia and told the story of her escape from there in "Desert Flower". Here she traces the roots of her courage, resilience and humour back to her motherland, and particularly her mother
Fashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie was born into a family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia. She told her story - enduring female circumcision at five years old; running away through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model - in her book, the worldwide bestseller, DESERT FLOWER. In DESERT DAWN she wrote about becoming a UN Special Ambassador against FGM (female genital mutilation) and returning to her family in Somalia. DESERT CHILDREN tells us how she and the journalist Corinna Milborn have investigated the practice of FGM in Europe - they estimate that up to 500,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM. At the moment, France is the only European country in which offenders are convicted and no European country officially recognises the threat of genital mutilation as a reason for asylum. Here are the voices of women who have felt encouraged and emboldened by Waris Dirie's courage. They speak out for the first time and move us to action.
Die kleine Safa stammt aus einer bitterarmen Familie in Dschibuti. Aufgewachsen in einem Slum, wird sie für die Rolle der kleinen Waris Dirie in der Verfilmung des Weltbestsellers Wüstenblume ausgewählt. Die dramatische Szene, in der das kleine Mädchen gewaltsam beschnitten wird, bringt die Menschen in den Kinos weltweit zum Weinen. Doch in Wirklichkeit ist Safa noch unversehrt. Umso entsetzter ist Waris Dirie, als sie erfährt, dass ihre Verstümmelung unmittelbar bevorsteht. Und sie setzt alles daran, um das Mädchen vor diesem grausamen Schicksal zu bewahren.
In een lange, emotionele brief aan haar Somalische moeder probeeert de auteur diepgaande culturele conflicten en misverstanden op te lossen en ook voor zichzelf duidelijkheid te scheppen over haar leven en waarden.
Po dwóch bestsellerowych ksiazkach Kwiat pustyni i Córka nomadów, Waris Dirie napisala kolejna , bardzo osobista i niezwykle poruszajaca . Jako pierwsza kobieta zaczela mówic o okrutnym rytuale obrzezania dziewczat. Tej torturze, bardzo czesto zagrazajacej zyciu, poddawane sa nadal dziewczeta nie tylko w Afryce i na Wschodzie, ale równiez w Europie. I wlasnie o wydarzeniach, z jakimi zetknela sie w Europie, o spotkaniach z ofiarami i katami opowiada w swojej ksiazce.
De waargebeurde ervaringen van een nomadendochter, topmodel en speciaal VN-ambassadeur
Autobiografie van het vermaarde fotomodel, dat zich als speciaal ambassadeur van de Verenigde Naties inzet voor de bestrijding van genitale verminking van vrouwen.
Neverovatna zivotna prica pustinjskog nomada. VARIS DIRIJE je pobegla od tegobnog zivota u africkoj pustinji kao mladja tinejdzerka, siromasna i nepismena, s jednom jedinom otrcanom maramom. Danas zivi u Njujorku, vrhunska je svetska manekenka i specijalni ambasador Ujedinjenih nacija; putuje svetom kao recit i strastven borac za ljudska prava. U ovoj znacajnoj i sadrzajnoj knjizi iz prve ruke nam prica o svojoj dramaticnoj i nadahnutoj odiseji. „Izvanredna hrabrost... najlepse nadahnuce za svakoga.“ Elton Dzon „Prica koja tece s kontinenta na kontinent, obuhvata svetove ljudskog iskustva i ljudskog bola... Varis Dirije je nekad bila zrtva, ali to nikada vise nece biti. Ona se jos bori, jos uvek se pomocu svoje lepote i hrabrosti, onako kako zna i ume, bori za pravdu.“ Sunday Express
