Nyakim Gatwech

Nyakim Gatwech is a South Sudanese-American model, She has attracted attention for her dark skin color and is popular on Instagram Gatwech’s parents lived in Maiwut, South Sudan, before they fled the South Sudanese civil war to Gambela, Ethiopia where Nyakim was born.

From there, they migrated in Kenya where they lived in refugee camps, and finally she migrated to the US with her family, while she was 14 years of age. Originally settling in Buffalo, New York, she later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Although she was neither born in nor has been to South Sudan, she still considers herself South Sudanese. She considered a modelling career after taking part in a fashion show at St. Cloud State University. She has appeared in promotional posters for the 2017 film

Gatwech is known for her naturally dark skin color and has been nicknamed the Queen of the Dark. Gatwech has faced self-esteem issues and comments from people who promote bleaching to lighten skin color,but learned to embrace her beauty and pigmentation with love and support from her fans. She has over 450,000 followers on Instagram

When model Nyakim Gatwech was in middle school, she cried herself to sleep thinking she wasn’t beautiful enough. Now, the 24 year old South Sudanese model has become an icon of beauty and an inspiration to young women everywhere. Her secret? Self-love.

“It takes time to love who you are. Be confident in whatever the situation is,” Nyakim said in an interview with Teen Vogue, “If you love yourself other people will see. It will shine through you and then they have the choice to accept you or walk away.”