"People would call me cow or zebra." Body positive influencers with vitiligo opened up about bullying and learning to feel comfortable in their own skin.
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00:00Your difference are your strengths, is what I would say to a young girl who feels like she's different.
00:05It makes you special, and you should love your differences.
00:18I first noticed I had vitiligo when I was about 12 years old,
00:22and it started with a really small spot on my neck.
00:26I was born with vitiligo, like say 80% of my body.
00:30I got vitiligo when I was 25 years old.
00:34I've had vitiligo since I was five years old, so I didn't know that I looked different.
00:46You know in Tanzania there is no anyone like me.
00:49I've been called cow, I've been asked if I was trying to be white.
00:54I've had people ask me if I was burnt.
00:57This man was like, holy s, a spotted n-word.
01:03I was bullied for a bit.
01:05People would call me like say a cow or a zebra.
01:08It did have an impact on me, like all the name calling,
01:10because it would affect anybody's confidence just as bullying does.
01:20I spent a lot of time wearing makeup, hiding behind the makeup.
01:24I did not want people to see me the way that I was,
01:28because I was so, so shy and so insecure,
01:31and I didn't want people to react negatively, I guess.
01:34These ones kind of get to me.
01:36My mum, she used to like go to doctors and used to give like a makeup thing.
01:41I got like the majority of these, look, makeup, makeup.
01:48Makeup, makeup.
01:55Little by little, I started shedding off less and less
02:00to feel comfortable within myself.
02:02And I would look in the mirror and I would repeat to myself
02:07that I was enough and that I am worthy
02:10and that I wasn't going to let it go control my life.
02:13But you have to be yourself.
02:14You have to love yourself.
02:15And that way people just love you.
02:17As I get older, I literally appreciate every individual thing.
02:20And not even just about myself, about every other person as well.
02:23My mom used to tell me that all the time.
02:25Why don't you just embrace it?
02:26You never know who you could inspire.
02:30Embrace yourself, love yourself, support yourself and be kind to you.
02:35I'm so lucky that what others thought was a curse
02:41is such a blessing to me now.
02:43Whatever beauty means to you is what's the most important.
02:46So you shouldn't look towards beauty standards of any industry
02:49or anyone else other than yourself.
02:51Everyone has unique things.
02:54Like me, I have a skin.
02:56It is my unique.
02:57Other guys, they have eyes, blue eyes, you know.
03:00So we are different.
03:01So everyone is unique.
03:02So if you want to be like someone, you can't.
03:06Because it is his unique.