AFRICA'S TOP MODELS - (A PLEA FROM SAMAR KHOURY)

"I am a full time model based in London originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I studied in King's College University of London.  The reason behind my modelling almost 3 years now  is that I'm trying to raise my profile more in Africa and worldwide because I want to find my missing mother. Apparently she has been missing over a decade now. I got separated from my mother in late 90s during the conflict war between Congo and Rwanda."

My name is Samar Khoury and I have two sisters born in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a Lebanese father and a Congolese mother. I live in London now over 10 years now and I have studied Biochemistry in Kings College University.  I got separated from my mother during the conflict war between Congo and Rwanda in late 90s. I always thought that my mother will join me in London one day. She knew we were in London. I last spoke to my mother around late 1999/Early Millennium year 2000.
In Late 2009, I received a message that my mother is held as a hostage. At that point of my life I convinced myself  that I will need to change my lifestyle to be heard and have a voice for my mother. 

I got introduced into modelling by chance in early 2010 through friends then I started modelling in mid 2010 because I wanted to raise my profile in order to raise awareness of my missing mother.Luckily I had an opportunity to participate in the First Edition of Congo Fashion Week in Brazzaville 17-19 of August 2012. Since then I felt like it was a blessing from God and that I meant to do modelling. I was in the right path of my life.
Going to Congo Brazzaville in August 2012 was the first step for me to take this opportunity to reach my native land. My sister from Paris joined me in Brazzaville. Me and my sister had to take one of the hardest unplanned decision of our life. My sister stayed behind in Brazzaville and I had to go back to London on 20 of August 2012.  As mentioned before I’m from Congo-Kinshasa not from Congo Brazzaville!
My sister made a trip to Kinshasa by crossing the Congo River by boat few days after my departure. While in Kinshasa, she managed to visit my mother’s family and the priest Abbe Samba who baptised her and my other younger sister. she found out that my mother left 2 suitcases with a priest. Inside those suitcases contained photo albums, sculptures,kitchen stuffs… My sister found our treasure, our memories, our life contained inside these suitcases. Unfortunately, the priest had memory loss and he passed away few moths  after my sister visit in Kinshasa. So we will never know what my mother told him when she dropped these suitcases. Where did my mother go next? I heard rumours that she went to South Africa, Rwanda, Goma but she never came back in Kinshasa?


I reunited with my sister in London on 20 of January 2013 but I have not seen her since 20 of August the day I left Brazzaville. It has been a  long complicated journey of pain and hope to get these suitcases.
I do hope in God’s hands to find my mother one day and we need closure in our life.”
by Samar Khoury

HERE AT BLACKFOX, WE HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO FIND HER SAMAR!!