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‘Take up space’: Young models on mission to showcase South Sudanese talent

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · · 1481 words · By Maura Ajak
Global Mobility and Bureaucracy Gender and Patriarchal Constraints South Sudanese Cultural Identity
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Young South Sudanese models ‘take up space’ in quest to showcase talent Longing to stride down runways of international fashion weeks often collides with realities of conservatism and lack of structural support.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Young South Sudanese models ‘take up space’ in quest to showcase talent Longing to stride down runways of international fashion weeks often collides with realities of conservatism and lack of structural support.

Why it matters

Juba, South Sudan – Growing up, Khloe Nyanda and the women and girls around her were taught “to be small and not take up spaces”, the 21-year-old says.

Common ground

But the model and law student at the University of Juba followed her own instincts, and role models who showed her that a different way was possible.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/4/17/young-south-sudanese-models-take-up…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 4
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
schedule
Claim 1: “In March, Garang won a modelling award in the “creativity” category at the national Miss Junub beauty pageant.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “20-year-old Alek Mayen Garang is also striving to balance her modelling ambitions with her studies as a senior high school student.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results for Alek Mayen Garang returned irrelevant results (jobs in Teluk Panglima Garang, bird science, and English homework), providing no evidence for the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jobs now available in Teluk Panglima Garang. Customer Service Representative, Tutor, Accounts Assistant and more on Indeed.com.Respond to queries from parents, students, and tutors via various communi…
https://malaysia.indeed.com/jobs-in-Teluk-Panglima-Garang
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Part 2 - https://youtu.be/doj_wt9ER_QFor over two decades, Professor Toshitaka Suzuki dedicated his life to studying the Japanese tit, a small songbird nativ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmys2abx4co
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — *20 Complete the sentences with the correct alternatives. 1 Tigers and zebras are both striped/spotted animals. 2 After a year at sea, penguins walk many miles inland to their hunting/breeding grounds…
https://gdz.top/9-klass/english/verbickaja-rabochaja-tetrad/…
check_circle
Claim 3: “Nyanda was born in Yirol, about 200-250 kilometres (roughly 125-155 miles) northwest of Juba, spent her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and later returned to Juba.”
CORROBORATED
Both Al Jazeera and Brit Herald report that Nyanda was born in Yirol, spent her childhood in Nairobi, and later returned to Juba.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nyanda’s life has been defined by movement. She was born in Yirol, about 200-250 kilometres (roughly 125-155 miles) northwest of Juba, spent her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and later returned to Juba…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/4/17/young-south-sud…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — She heard it in Yirol, where she was born, in Nairobi where she spent much of her childhood, and again when she returned to Juba to study law at the University of Juba. Nyanda says she decided at 14 t…
https://britherald.com/world/south-sudanese-models-take-up-s…
check_circle
Claim 4: “Neither France nor Italy have embassies in South Sudan”
CORROBORATED
Al Jazeera explicitly states that neither France nor Italy have embassies in South Sudan, and this is supported by the context of the other reports requiring travel to neighboring countries for visas.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South Sudan's diverse landscape includes vast plains and plateaus, dry and tropical savannahs, inland floodplains, and forested mountains. The Nile River system is the defining physical feature...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Foreign embassies and consulates in Italy. Addresses, telephone, email, websites, social media, opening hours.Italy has 126 embassies abroad, as well as 428 consulates and five other representations.
https://www.embassypages.com/italy
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apart from the Offices Providing Consular Services to Canadians Abroad information shown, the information in the map above is from external sources. As such, it is provided only as a convenience and i…
https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/embassies-consulates
info
Claim 5: “The first attempt to attend Milan Fashion Week 2023 was rejected by the Italian embassy in Nairobi due to bank statement issues linked to her small agency.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail regarding the Italian embassy in Nairobi rejecting her for Milan Fashion Week 2023 due to bank statement issues is mentioned in the context of the Al Jazeera/Brit Herald reporting but not corroborated by a separate independent source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Rejected: Unfortunately, your visa application was denied. Unknown: If this status appears, it means that the details you entered do not match any existing visa application. Please double-check the in…
https://www.atlys.com/tools/italy-visa-status-checker
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Your Visa Application Process. Here are the mandatory steps to apply for a Schengen visa.Submit your application and provide your biometric data at the visa application centre.
https://it.tlscontact.com/am/evn/index.php
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Piazza Duomo, 31 - 20122 Milano Tel +39.02.7771081 - Fax +39.02.77710850 cameramoda@cameramoda.it.
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/en/
schedule
Claim 6: “Akur Majok, who transitioned from modelling to pursue her passion for fashion design; Dawson Dau Amou, the founder of South Sudan Fashion Week; and David Shegold, who specialises in creating custom wedding gowns.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 7: “A second attempt, through I Am Model Management for Paris, failed twice at the French embassy in Kampala, Uganda.”
CORROBORATED
Both Al Jazeera and ATQ News report that a second attempt through I Am Model Management for Paris failed twice at the French embassy in Kampala, Uganda.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nyanda says she experienced this complexity firsthand when she rejected the advances of a modelling coach.A second attempt, through I Am Model Management for Paris, failed twice at the French embassy …
https://atqnews.com/africa-south-sudans-rising-models-challe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A second attempt, through I Am Model Management for Paris, failed twice at the French embassy in Kampala, Uganda. Neither France nor Italy have embassies in South Sudan, so hopefuls have to get travel…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/4/17/young-south-sud…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — U.S. Embassy in Uganda map pin. Address: Plot 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala, Uganda. Hours of operation: Closed.
https://ug.usembassy.gov/
schedule
Claim 8: “Nine of the world’s top 50 models ranked by models.com are originally from the country [South Sudan]”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 9: “Since 2023, she has faced multiple visa rejections, despite being signed by agencies in London, Paris and Italy.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general narrative of her struggles is mentioned in the Al Jazeera and ATQ News articles, the specific detail about being signed by agencies in London, Paris, and Italy is not independently corroborated by a second distinct news organization in the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Travel while your visa is being processed. United States Global Entry program.Bringing partner or family. Bringing for activities. When you have a visa.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-li…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The fee for Multiple Visa is 100 USD and has a validity of 1 year. Holders of Ordinary Visa who will visit any of the East African countries after arrival to Tanzania may use the same Visa when coming…
https://visa.immigration.go.tz/guidelines
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Visa application rejected. Visa or passport is lost or stolen.The visitor visa is a type of nonimmigrant visa for people who wish to temporarily enter the U.S. There are two categories
https://www.usa.gov/tourist-visa
check_circle
Claim 10: “Khloe Nyanda is a 21-year-old model and law student at the University of Juba.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Al Jazeera, Brit Herald, and another news snippet) confirm Khloe Nyanda is a 21-year-old law student at the University of Juba and a model.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Juba, South Sudan – Growing up, Khloe Nyanda and the women and girls around her were taught “to be small and not take up spaces”, the 21-year-old says. But the model and law student at the University …
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/4/17/young-south-sud…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Khloe Nyanda, 21, grew up with a clear message from the adults around her: be small and don't take up space. She heard it in Yirol, where she was born, in Nairobi where she spent much of her childhood…
https://britherald.com/world/south-sudanese-models-take-up-s…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Young South Sudanese models, including 21-year-old law student Khloe Nyanda, are challenging cultural expectations to pursue modeling careers. Inspired by internationally recognized model Adut Akech, …
https://indobuddy-prod.emergent.host/article/young-south-sud…
verified
Claim 11: “Adut Akech is an internationally known South Sudanese model who spent her earliest days in a refugee camp before moving abroad with her family.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms Adut Akech is a South Sudanese-Australian model. Web search results from Al Jazeera and other sources confirm she spent her early years in a refugee camp before moving abroad.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Adut is an African feminine given name. Notable people with the name include: Adut Akech (born 1999), South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Bulgak (born 1992), South Sudanese-Canadian basketball playe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adut
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Adut Akech Bior ( ə-DUUT ə-KETCH; born 25 December 1999) is a South Sudanese-Australian model. Akech made her fashion week runway debut as an exclusive in the Saint Laurent S/S 17 show and went on to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adut_Akech
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is an annual fashion show sponsored by Victoria's Secret, an American brand of lingerie and sleepwear. Victoria's Secret uses the show to promote and market its good…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria's_Secret_Fashion_Show…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 12: “When she was young, her family relocated to Kampala, Uganda. But the 2016 conflict pushed them back to South Sudan”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results to support or refute the claim about Garang's family relocation to Kampala and return to South Sudan.
help
Claim 13: “Garang was born in Greater Jonglei in eastern South Sudan, some 200km north of Juba, and raised in Renk, in the northernmost county bordering Sudan.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results to support or refute the claim about Garang's birthplace and upbringing.
schedule
Claim 14: “Anok Yai, an American of South Sudanese ancestry who was named model of the year at the 2025 British Fashion Awards.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.