Growing up with vitiligo, Sonya Charles Danita never imagined that one day she would model for top-notch fashion magazines, walk on the ramp, and be part of brand campaigns for Levis, Dove, Maybelline, and Chatime.
Today, Sonya is using social media to reach out to those who need her self-confidence and strength, and a life-changing transformation that reflected her journey of self-love and self-acceptance. However, growing up as someone who looked different than everyone else wasn’t easy for Sonya. The biggest challenge was learning self-acceptance and self-love while being bullied for her skin condition, which eventually took a toll on her mental health.
In an interview to a prominent media outlet, Sonya shared her experience, “It felt like a constant battle between the people who picked on me, and my insecurities. I had to deal with bullies while I was at school, and when I was out in public, people would stare, make comments, and ask me questions in regards to my skin condition.”
Overcoming her insecurities was something that she worked on over time. It required months of self-reflection and constantly pushing herself to embrace her true-self. Luckily, studying in the US gave Sonya a chance to start fresh and finally be who she truly was. In addition to this, modelling assignments too changed the way she viewed herself.
Next – Sonya was able to stand up for those who have also felt like her growing up and ones who didn’t consider themselves beautiful enough and disconnected to the mainstream beauty standards. How?… via social media.
But Sonya’s work doesn’t stop at inspiring others with vitiligo. Currently, she is working on projects to educate the masses on the skin condition. “I have 14 years of experience of seeing doctors and nutritionists to handle my condition, so I’m putting together a guidance for people who want to eat healthier, from how to include more fruits and vegetables in our diet, how do we stop using chemical and flavoring in food to how to choose good cooking oil,” Sonya elaborated in one of her interviews.