Aden was the first hijab-wearing model to walk international runways. In June 2017, she became the first hijab-wearing model on the cover of Vogue Arabia. She also became the first hijab-wearing model on an Allure cover, for their July 2017 issue. She recently became the first woman to feature on the cover of British Vogue wearing a hijab.
In a recent interview, Halima spoke to Nairobi News about how her journey as a model and her visit to Kakuma camp in Somalia.
What went through your mind when you got a call to be a model?
“I just remember going like ooh. Is this a joke? Is this a prank? like what is just happening? But it was incredible because that is not something that comes by every day especially for me. I wear a hijab and that is something that has never happened before. So for me, it was a big deal.”
You are back in Kakuma for the first time since you left. What memories do you have of running up and down here as a kid?
“I have so many memories, like they always just come to me and hitting me like a moth truck. I just have so many memories of what it was like to just have a ton of freedom back then. Seeing it now I’m like maybe that was not a good idea but I remember just being with my friends, just going off alone and being gone for like hours, all day and running back home in time for supper or dinner. It’s nothing major but something small that reminds me of how it was to be a child here.”
Before you got your major break, you used to work as a housekeeper?
“Yes, I did housekeeping for two years. For me I wanted to get my foot to hospital one way or another, so I applied for housekeeping and did it for two years.
“Actually, it’s funny because I was in housekeeping and doing modelling at the same time. The first six months of being a model I also kept my job for job security reasons. I did not know if it was going to go well or not do so well so it was my backup plan and I also liked my job.“
