A number of Kenyan refugees have chosen to live life with the notion that no human is limited, establishing themselves within the society and even building empires in countries abroad.
Their stories blew up even making international headlines by telling their stories, unfiltered.
Here are some Kenyan Refugees who have made the decision to change the course of their lives:
Rawdah Mohamed
She is a Somali-Norwegian supermodel, who now works with Vogue Scandinavia as the lead fashion editor. Her story began in a Kenyan refugee camp, where she spent her childhood with her ten brothers.
Rawdah found herself in the camp following the civil war that had hit Somalia hard. The first hijab-wearing editor of color at a fashion magazine in the West, recalled living in a refugee camp in a one-room tent that had an outside toilet and cooked over an open fire.
The 29-year-old model, who is known for her street style fashion, stated that her biggest highlight at the camp was the Eid festival, where she was allowed to buy a dress which she could show off from tent to tent.
She rose to stardom after the French government announced plans to ban hijab for women below the age of 18. Her response went viral on all social media platforms. Her response was just a simple selfie with “Hands off my hijab” written on her upheld palm which later became a worldwide campaign.
Her campaign generated much-needed attention which helped him land a prestigious role with Vogue.
Ahmed Hussen
Hussen just like many other refugees living in deplorable conditions in a camp in Kenya. His parents were forced out of Somalia due to the country's political instability.
After spending some time in the country he established some network that enabled him to move out of the camp living in different streets and apartments trying to settle in Kenya's capital city. Unfortunately, things did not pan out as he wished as he even struggled further in Nairobi.
At the age of 16, his breakthrough came when he found an opportunity to travel to Canada. While in that country miles away from home, he studied law and became an adviser to former Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty.
On October 26, Hussen was unveiled as a Minister during a swearing-in ceremony that was held at the country's capital Ottawa. He was entrusted with turning around Canada's housing sector having been appointed as the Minister for Housing, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Previously he held Cabinet positions as the Immigration and Social Development Minister under Justin Trudeau's Liberal government.
Hussen has been in active politics since 2015 representing York South-Weston in the House of Commons.
Abdimaik Hashi
Abdimaik Hashi journey to stardom embodied a lot of determination and breaking the glass ceiling to reach the proverbial brass ring.
Hashi spent over eight years in a Kenyan camp after his mother and sister fled Kismayo in Somalia. The incident that would later change his life happened in 1992, where his family was forced to walk for over two months before being welcomed in Kenya but as refugees.
His family was forced to endure all the harsh conditions in the camp until when he was 8-years-old when they got a rare opportunity and were transferred to Kentucky in the United States of America (USA) through the US Refugee Resettlement Program.
Hashi and his family later settled in Minnesota where he studied at St. John's University and resolved to join the military classes in order to afford to pay his school fees.
His rise in ranks in the US army even helped him tell his story of courage and zeal inspiring other refugees. Currently, Hashi is looking forward to joining the 186th Brigade Support Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat team for an overseas deployment.
Adut Akech
Adut Akech story is so emotional but with a happy ending. She was born when her mother was fleeing from skirmishes in South Sudan to seek asylum in Kenya's Kakuma camp.
Akech's mother secured asylum in Australia after eight years of being a refugee in Kenya. It was at the age of 16 that Akech's modelling career began after she was hired by a top modelling agency.
That is when she started writing new chapters in her life and that of her family. On September 6, the 21-year-old supermodel shocked the world by splashing over Ksh300 million to purchase a mansion in the United States.
In 2018, she began changing the life of her mother by getting her a dream house together with a car fulfilling the promise she made while growing up and seeing the struggles they went through moving from one country to another.
Other than just modelling, other top organisations have tapped in her prowess and success to reach out to other individuals who are currently struggling or in similar vulnerable situations.
She once gave a keynote speech at the United Nations(UN) Headquarters about being a refugee and inspired the youth with her modelling experiences as a dark skin person.
Augustine Sarafino
Augustine Sarafino, now a top-rated musician in the US, has roots in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Sarafino unlike the rest was actually born in the camp. He experienced everything firsthand throughout his younger years before he got an opportunity to go to the US.
