Atim Birungi

BMW: Non-Ugandans may not know but you have an interesting combination of names that reflect different elements of your Ugandan heritage...
Atim: My father is from Gulu (northern Uganda) and is of the Acholi tribe. It is customary to name children with respect to the circumstances surrounding the mother or family at the time of birth. When my mother birthed me, she was far outside of the Acholi district boundary so my family named me Atim which means born in a foreign land (or by the bushes). I think my name makes more sense now that I'm living in the US.

My biological mother is from the Kingdom of Toro, which is situated on the southwestern border of Uganda. Her last name was Birungi, which means the good and beautiful one.

BMW: Is it just me?... or is it becoming the "in" thing to be from Acholi if you are from Uganda?
Atim: No, I think you're right. To tell you the truth, though I was always exaggerating, I thought my family and I were the only ones that immigrated to the US from home. We were always the only Ugandans at "family" gatherings and African parties. My people were nowhere to be found... or so I thought... until a few years ago. Now I know that we've always been here, we're just spread out.

Anyhow, in 2007 the annual Acholi Reunion (www.acholireunion.com) was established, where members of the Acholi tribe, friends, and anyone who is interested, gather for a week long celebratory event to partake in our culture, tradition, food, and so on. It's such a leisured experience full of fun, educational games and conversation, sightseeing, creating fellowships, and did I mention the hardy traditional food. Mmh-hmm! It's one of the events I look forward to attending every year. It's good to be able to come together and forget about the ongoing horrific political war back home that has always made our tribe appear hopelessly troubled in the eyes of the western world. The reunion always reassures me that we can and will conquer through the hardships.

BMW: You were raised by your grandmother till the age of five when you joined up with your parents... Why is that?
Atim: It's such a complicated story. Honestly, I'm not too sure how to answer this question because I myself am still puzzled about my early childhood. It's always been challenging getting answers from my parents. I think the incidents that occurred within that time period still disturb them today that they'd rather not discuss them. I'm fine with that now... I wasn't always.

BMW: Here at BlackMenWomen.com we try to pick out beautiful smart models. How do you combine "beauty and brainpower"?
Atim: Being physically beautiful is a blessing. However, I believe that having inner beauty... being a person of noble character exceeds our physical attributes in importance. Am I the same person outside of the spotlight? It makes all the difference. I'm currently in the process of obtaining my Bachelors of Science in Real Estate, and with my brainpower, I plan on implementing everything I've learned back home (Uganda) within my village. God willing, I'll have my own real estate firm, which will include managing the construction, design, and property management sectors of residential and commercial properties.

BMW: You launched your modeling career in March 2006. What exactly does that mean...?
Atim: A career in modeling is something I've always contemplated about. Unfortunately, I had a lack of self-confidence in myself that was overbearing that dream. I allowed the brutal comments I often received from my family and peers in the past to define and determine who I was. To me, modeling means so much more than being just a pretty face or the pursuit of fame. I have to be a fit role model for not only young girls who look up to me but women as a whole because we should be each other's support system. As emotionally distorted as I was, there was no way I could pursue such an industry where one is constantly in the public eye without feeling guilty and a bit deceitful. God had to work on me from the inside-out. It wasn't easy but He broke those deconstructive strongholds over my life, and finally in March of 2006 I was able to pursue the modeling industry with high regards of myself, along with other aspirations.

BMW: How successful have you been in this short career? Who have been your major clients?
Atim: Honestly, there is so much to achieve as I am still at a premature stage of my career. Though I've worked with reputable industry professionals such as M.A.C Cosmetics, Pantene, Upscale Magazine, and Samsung, I am looking forward to the day I see my face on a gigantic Time Square billboard and the cover big-name magazines including Vogue, Essence, Elle, InStyle, Mademoiselle, and so forth. The sky is the limit.