Having a disability does not restrict you from following your dreams and aspirations. Twin sisters Hermon and Heroda Berhane prove this to be true yet again through their hard work and successful careers.
At the age of 7, both of these successful fashion bloggers and models mysteriously went deaf. The cause of their deafness could not be traced even by medical professionals.
The twins grew up in Eritrea, and it even took their parents a while to figure out that the girls had lost their hearing.
The twins explained, “We were playing together in the backyard of our parents’ house; our mother was trying to call our names, and we did not hear at all.”
Being deaf has not stopped these Eritrean-Ethiopian sisters from following their dreams, and inspiring others simultaneously.
Now, at 34 years old, both sisters have up-and-coming careers in modeling and acting. They model affordable urban and traditional Eritrean outfits. Additionally, they have recently launched a fashion blog, Being Her.
On their site they state, “We don’t strive to look or be perfect. It’s all about self-expression and individuality.” They continue, “Being deaf doesn’t stop us from what we want to do because we can do anything except hear.”
In an email interview with CNN, they explained their mission simply as, “We want to tell people around the world that you should embrace disability, not hide from it.”
Hermon makes it clear that being deaf will not stop her from doing what she loves. As far as she is concerned, “Deaf people can do it like everyone can.”
Being deaf has not always been easy for the twins, especially as women of color with a disability. “We had quite (a lot) of barriers through our lives, especially (our) career, but we fight for it. … We will have to use our deafness and being black women to break these barriers.”
The Berhane sisters demonstrate more than just perseverance and strength. They also showcase how amazing a strong family bond is, and how it has positively impacted their lives.
It is clear to see that both Hermon and Heroda strive for originality and keeping things real, which often can be hard to find nowadays.
“People are hungry for real inspiration, and we want you to see that we’re wearing clothes that we can afford and most importantly that you can relate (to) with our personality,” they explained.
It is exciting to anticipate the new work that the Berhane sisters will offer to the world.
Featured Image by Jim Linwood on Flickr
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
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