Meet Our Cover Model

Ms. Samelia M Gibson

Samelia M Gibson was born to Liberian parents in the Ivory coast during the mid-1990’s. However, she never knew her father. She was reared by her maternal Aunt and Grandmother. The Liberian civil war caused many Liberians to flee the country. Samelia’s mother fled to the United States leaving her daughter behind. Her aunt and grandmother stepped into the parental role for the child. The family relocated to Ghana West Africa where they resided until the passing of her aunt in 2006. When the civil war ended, they moved back to Liberia.

Samelia’s grandmother had other children who also live in the United States, and she depended on her children for financial support-but the support was not regular, and the elder woman struggled to care for Samelia and other family members that were under her care. To make ends meet, Samelia’s grandmother purchased a carton of candles and mosquito cords and began to resell them for a profit. Many homes in Liberia are still lit by candles and lanterns. Also, Liberia has a tropical climate, and it rains for six months out of the year. As a result of the heavy rainfall, the country experiences a high infestation of mosquitos. Therefore, mosquito cords are burned in many homes around the country.

To assist their grandmother with the financial burdens, Samelia and a cousin were forced to sell candles and mosquito cords on the streets. However, Samelia was embarrassed about selling on the streets knowing that her mother lived in the United States of America. Even with their small business, her grandmother continued to struggle to make ends meet. The family eventually evicted from a small shack that they rented. The elder woman managed to raise enough money to build a zinc house where she and her family finally move into. Once again, Samelia refused to live in the zinc house. She felt that living in a zinc house was beneath since her mother lived in the United States.

Samelia remembers being a very unruly child. She ended up joining a street gang called “The Royal boys and Girls Crew.” They run the streets during the day and hang out at clubs and parties at night. The gang members primarily lived in a house that was owned by the parents of two other members. The boys’ parents had also fled Liberia and were living in the United States. With no parental supervision in the house, it became a heaven for many young people who chose the street life.

During her gang life, Samelia would earn money and liquor by dancing for others. She participated in a beauty pageant and was awarded the first runner’s up position. She later fell in love with a young man and began to spend most of her free time with him. At age 18, she got pregnant, when she revealed the pregnancy news to the young fellow, he to her to abort the child. Samelia had heard many horrifying stories about girls and abortion, and she was frightened. Against the boy’s will, she decided to keep the child. Upon learning about Samelia’s decision to keep the child, the boy turned his back on her. After learning about the child the boy’s parents accepted their granddauther and decided to become her guardian. With her young child securely cared for by her grandparents, Samelia enlisted in high school and graduated in 2015.

In 2016, Samelia met a Liberian Female artist name Faithvonic and began to dance in her music videos and concerts. Dancing for Faithvonic introduced the young woman to a larger audience the gig also paid well. Somehow, dancing was not sufecient for Samelia Modeling had been her dream and people would stop her on the streets to ask if she was a professional model. Modeling was natural for her. At the time, Jbull was the biggest and well-known modeling agencies in Liberia and their models got major contracts. Jbull was also one of the most difficult agencies to get into. Unfortunately for Samelia, she never got into Jbulland at age 26, she was pregnant again. After the passing of her beloved grandmother, she met her biological mother for the first time. She was ecstatic to meet and finally touch the woman who had given birth to her for the first time. With the death of her grandmother and meeting her mother for the first time, Samelia began to reflect on her life. She moved back into the family Zinc house which was built by her grandmother, and she also decided to take up a trade. The twenty 26-year-old registered for cosmetology school where she received a certificate in hair dressing, make-up, and nails. Her family did not believe that she could complete the course due to her past. However, she proves to them and herself that she can make good decisions and she is now on the right track. Semelia and her current boyfriend started a business together where she does make-up and hair for customers and sells beauty products.

Congratulations to Samelia M Gibson for being our June cover model. We are proud of you, and we believe that you will accomplish much more in the future.