FACE 2 FACE AFRICA — You might have heard of the phrase, “black like jet” or the adjective “jet-black”, meaning as dark a black as possible.
For South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech, people of African stock even get stunned by her dark hue.
Although bullied, scorned and disparaged for her rare looks, the South Sudan native whose parents had to flee the civil war to Kenya and then to the U.S. is living her best life. This is a far cry from days she and her folks dwelt in refugee camps in the East African state.
The Second Sudanese Civil War (1983 to 2005) displaced more than four million people and left an estimated two million dead, including Gatwech’s sister and brother.
The St. Cloud State University product, who made entry to the U.S. aged 14, is now dubbed ‘Queen of the Dark’, a reference to her deep melanin.
