'Those joyous faces'

"Being able to see the innocent and grateful smiles of (underprivileged) children was humbling and brought gladness to my heart.

"These smiles made walking on the ramp worth my while and introduced me to a different way of seeing the world. It shaped my personality and made me accountable to the community I lived in," says 26-year-old model Bridget Benedict Atieno Okello.

Born and brought up in Nairobi, Okello was drawn to the glamour of the catwalk as a child. Yet her love of fashion was later to be eclipsed by her passion for helping the most vulnerable members of the community.

She was around 12 when pictures of beauty and fashion pageants such as Miss Universe in the local media began to capture her imagination. "I used to cut out and collect photos of these glamorous models from papers and magazines," she says.

"One day, I was wistfully staring at a picture of a model and wishing I could be like her when my father startled me by asking me whether I wanted to be like the model. I could not believe my ears!" she says.

To her amazement, her father encouraged her to pursue her dream.

"Coming from a traditional African background where the idea of modelling is considered alien, I had to face a lot of obstacles and discouragement. In Kenya, as in most African countries, modelling is considered a foreign idea and is largely associated with negative traits ...," she says.

"However, my immediate family was very supportive. The greatest obstacle was in dealing with community stereotypes and (those of my) extended family.

"I was ostracised in some circles as some parents thought that I would negatively influence their children. At school, my peers used to taunt me and laugh at my ambitions. I almost gave up."

Unfortunately for Okello, her father passed away before she even enrolled into a professional modelling school.

"(This) was devastating, as his support had helped nurture my dream. But it strengthened my resolve to make it (big) in the world of fashion and modelling. The fact that my father believed in me was all I needed to realise my dream."

Okello participated in school fashion shows before enrolling at Modern House, a modelling school in Westlands, a suburb of Nairobi. She soon qualified to compete in the 2002 Miss Kenya beauty pageant.

While she did not win the coveted Miss Kenya crown, it gave her the opportunity to discover what was to become her passion - working to improve the lot of disadvantaged children.

"As part of the Miss Kenya beauty pageant, I did a lot of charity work: this involved fashion show fundraisers and helping out in the community. This work eventually became a part of me and I simply could not stop (doing charity work) after the pageant was over," she says.

From 2004 to 2005, she attended the Tabasamu Modelling School in Nairobi and continued to participate in fundraising events and fashion shows.

"Some of my colleagues took up work for overseas agencies, modelling African clothes and accessories. I decided that I would work for the welfare of children in my country.

"Being able to help these children materially and emotionally made a world of difference to me,'' says Okello, who is the first child in her family of seven children.

"While I got a lot of care and support from my parents, (visits to) children's orphanages showed me what it meant to be without care and love. I got a lot of satisfaction just making disadvantaged children happy. And I would (push) myself and work harder just to put a smile on those innocent faces.''

In June 2005, Okello moved to Abu Dhabi, where she worked as a beautician and hairstylist. Recently, she joined Etihad Airways and is undergoing training to become a cabin crew member.

"Modelling gave me confidence in myself and (this helps me today) in my work," says Okello, who looks forward to returning to the catwalk one day.

"Being a model is like being an ambassador for a cause. It teaches you everything from public relations to social responsibility. But most importantly, it taught me to be proud of who I am," she says.

"I am glad that modelling helped me celebrate my identity and contribute to the greater good, especially of children. The grateful smiles and the hundreds of thank yous I got are far more important than any material benefits I got from the same work."