Waris Dirie was born in Somalia, and she’s experienced the horrors of violence since she was a child: that of her father towards her mother, and that towards herself. At the age of 5, she was the victim of genital mutilation – a practice that all females have to endure in order to be “fixed” for a future marriage. After being promised to a 60-year-old for five camels, Waris ran away on foot to Mogadisciu, where she found employment as a maid in the house of an uncle and ambassador. She moved with him to London, where the second half of her life began. A photographer saw her and offered her the chance to pose for a few shots, which opened up the world of fashion to her. In 1997, she talked about
infibulation for the first time, and this started her activity as an activist. Today she’s the UN ambassador against female genital mutilation, she’s written books on the subject and founded the Desert Flower Foundation – an organization that supports victims of infibulation. In the Lavazza 2024 calendar she posed for the camera of Thandiwe Muriu.