Business Daily Africa - the international window into East African business opportunities - Ajuma’s

Ms. Ajuma NasenyanaAugust 1, 2008: When Ajuma Nasenyana took part in the New York Fashion week alongside icon Alek Wek for designers such as Baby Phat, Carlos Mienes and other top designers, what followed was a realisation from the modelling world that another Naomi Campbell has graced the catwalk and was there to stay for a while.As Ajuma became Kenya’s modelling industry success story, one lady’s name was embellished as the person behind Ajuma’s success; Lyndsey McIntyre is the one who spotted her six years ago. As the model graces faces of catalogues of perfumes like Issey Miyake and becomes a household name in the industry, Lyndsey as she is better known, is shopping for the next rare model who will perhaps make her more famous.For the last four weeks, Lyndsey has been scourging the countryside and major towns in search of Kenya’s next supermodel. In 2003, through the same trick she discovered Ajuma in marginalised Turkana District, who went on to make a global modelling career. The world is gradually smitten with Ajuma, Lyndsey hopes to be lucky ones more.Through her agency, Surazuri Modelling and Cast Agency, Lyndsey was licensed in 2002 to conduct a search for the one girl who represents Kenya in the Ford Models’ Supermodel finals usually held in New York. “We have very impressive girls this year,” she says. “I am very excited.”Ford Models, is a prestigious modelling agency in New York that started the supermodel search in 1980. Today, the search is held in over 50 countries, and each bring one model to compete for the $250,000 (Sh16.8 million) contract with the agency. Surazuri was the first agency in Africa to be licensed and was followed by other agencies in Nigeria and South Africa. The latter participates in the show on and off. “It provides a great opportunity for networking with the top agencies from each country participating,” says Ms McIntyre. She has passion for fashion having started modelling at the age of 14. Ms McIntyre with Khadija Adams (a...