(BlackNews.com)—Iman Kerigo, the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss Norway, arrived in the U.S. last month as part of her goodwill tour. Kerigo, a refugee from Kenya who fled with her family to safety in the United Kingdom, continues her mission to raise awareness on poverty, war and domestic abuse. She visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas and surrounding areas as part of her 12-day visit.
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| IMAN KERIGO
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As a child born into a life of extreme hardship forged by her family’s struggle in war torn Kenya, she and her mother struggled to survive day-to-day while living under the rule of an abusive father. Iman’s mother’s greatest dream was to simply see her children live. She never dreamed her second child could achieve something so amazing.
“My mother was just happy that we were alive but she didn’t want us to live a meager existence,” Kerigo said. “Being crowned Miss Norway gave me the opportunity to make sure that her dream came true.”
After waiting for some time to gain citizenship in a new country, Iman, her mother and siblings were finally accepted under refugee status to the Scandanavian country of Norway. Growing up thousands of miles away from everything she had ever known, Iman worked hard to adjust to her new adopted home, even learning to speak Norweigan and English, rather than her native Swahili.
Through hard work and dedication, she overcame tremendous odds to eventually become the first woman of African descent to ever be crowned Miss Norway. She credits much of her success in the Miss Norway Pageant to her coach, nutrition expert David Sandoval. David, author of “The Green Foods Bible,” had Iman follow his “Superfoods For Supermodels” program, an eating program designed especially for those in the public eye.
David says, “I created this program in response to the epidemic of bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders prevalent in the modeling and entertainment business.” But David is keen to explain that “Superfoods For Supermodels” is not a diet. He adds, “Instead it features realistic guidelines for creating exceptionally healthy, lean, beautiful bodies through pure, organic, green food nutrition and core fitness.” David’s program also helps to build confidence and strength while focusing on taking personal responsibility for one’s own destiny.
Iman adds, “Part of my mission is to let young girls know that even if it seems all the odds are against you, you can still achieve great things.”
In the future, Iman hopes to forge a career in modeling and/or become a spokesperson for an African centric product line.
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