Quotes from Alek Wek

I was working part-time as a cleaner while I was going to college and then babysitting after school.

I've seen mothers and children really being vulnerable in the refugee camps; it's supposed to be temporary, but they end up having children who have grown up in refugee camps.

When I think of 'Instagram models,' I say you have to take baby steps. You cannot just walk straight onto the runway.

I never thought I would see a free South Sudan.

It's a small world when you're from South Sudan.

When I was 10 years old, I fled my homeland amid the bomb blasts of civil war in Sudan.

I grew up in southern Sudan, one of nine children. Our life was simple but very happy.

My life was filled with family in South Sudan. I am the seventh of nine children, and we grew up in what would be considered a middle-class family. We did not have a lot, but we did have more than a lot of other people.

Having arrived in London to seek refuge during the civil war in Sudan, where I was born, the thing I'm most proud of is having totally evolved. I came here not knowing how to speak English, but I went to school and learned; I adapted to this new culture.

I learnt just how little it takes to survive, which is why I don't waste things – food, money, friendships or opportunities.

I've always loved to paint - I was studying to do an art degree when I was approached to become a model - and I've being doing some design work as well. I also love just having a quiet time, sitting in my little library at home in Brooklyn and reading or watching documentaries or listening to music.

South Sudanese people are rich like the soil; they just need a little water, and they will grow.

My experience as a refugee had made me strong; I could survive anything, even the world of fashion.

True beauty is born through our actions and aspirations and in the kindness we offer to others.

I think beauty is not just about what we put on our heads or on our faces or what we wear: it's deeper than that, and if we can celebrate that, celebrate the women, not just the superficiality... I think it would be really gorgeous.

I love cooking. I love having friends around.

We survived on natural resources, so we should take care of the earth. When I leave home, I do things like switching off the heat and lights.

Starting modeling in the '90s, it was quite surreal. They were like, 'You're so different! So weird! So bizarre!' And I'm like, 'I'm so normal. What are you talking about?'

When I first started modeling, I realised I was very different from many of my colleagues, but I welcomed the opportunities my career in fashion offered me and the support from many inspiring individuals in the fashion industry.

We need to do everything we can to protect the health and welfare of children around the world, but fortunately, it's getting easier to provide things like medication and care.

My mother has always instilled in us that we should carry ourselves with dignity despite the horror that came with the civil war. She also taught us that where you come from is very important because that's what makes you who you are. So for me, whatever I've gone through had profoundly shaped me; it has given me strength and unwavering faith.

Whenever I feel I am going through my own 'little' challenging moment, I just think about my mom.

There are mothers who sew for six months to make a fashion collection - someone's grandmother, someone's sister. We come in and get paid to walk for 10 minutes at the end. Whenever I think about that, I realise it's not about me. I was just the one chosen to represent those women and sell the clothes.

When I was working, there was no digital. We actually worked; we used Polaroids.