“GIRLS CAN HAVE SUCH BRIGHT FUTURES IF GIVEN REAL OPPORTUNITIES”

When a terrifying encounter opened her eyes to the lack of women’s rights around the world, model and activist Toni Garrn felt compelled to fight for the voices that go unheard

Model/activist Toni Garrn is helping change the world.

“Growing up in Germany, my mum had me doing a different hobby every week – horseriding, skiing, playing piano, dance class, tutoring. I started working as a model when I was 15, so I learnt a lot about life, the world, politics and human rights from travelling on my own.

I remember when I was 16, flying alone to Marrakech. I arrived at midnight and met the driver at arrivals; he grabbed my bag and ran off without even saying “Hello”. We got in his cab – me in the back seat – and he took off, speeding through absolute darkness for over an hour. I was on the phone to my mum telling her how scared I was. There were no street lights and this man wouldn’t say a word to me. He could have been kidnapping me, for all I knew.

At one point, he took a sharp turn off the road into the desert. I started hitting him from the back seat: “Where are we going? Where are we going?!” Finally, he just pointed ahead and way off in the distance I saw a light. There, in the middle of the desert, was my destination, a luxury resort. There were only male security guards, and none of them would speak to me. I couldn’t understand it. At 2am, the hairdresser on the shoot came to check on me; I hugged him so hard. I told him what happened and he explained that some of these men don’t treat girls and women the way they do back home. It was an eye-opening experience.

Since 2014, I’ve been an ambassador for Plan International’s global Because I Am A Girl campaign. Their office was close to my childhood house and the mailbox was always filled with sponsorship letters. The organisation believes that in order to be equal we must ensure all girls are seen, heard and counted. When I started earning money at 16, I took on my first sponsor child – a girl from Vietnam. Now I have four. The older I got, the more I wanted to help. I’d go to all these incredible places for work – Africa, Asia, South America – and driving through villages on the way to the city or the job, I always wanted to jump out. It can be challenging, reconciling the different worlds I’m a part of.

Modelling is where I’ve made my name and I could never give it up, and more recently I’ve been pursuing acting, but I’m very passionate about activism. This means my days can be very hectic. I might start with a workout, then I’ll organise some pictures for the charity, attend an audition, then a shoot, then I might meet my agent, and at night, I often have a fundraiser for a different charity. It’s always all over the place, but I love it like that.

I’ve achieved a lot in the past decade. My management team and I work really well together. When a new job comes in, we decide whether it’s a good fit or not. Some don’t align with my personal beliefs or ethics, and I’m not afraid to turn them down, but others – like being a part of the new Seafolly campaign – are a no-brainer. It’s a brand that has always championed a young, sporty girl who surfs and is super athletic.

I take as much time as I can for my philanthropic trips – I love going but it takes a lot of time and preparation. Last year, my family and I went to Zimbabwe and I got to meet one of my sponsor children. It’s not something you’re really ever able to do, so I feel extremely fortunate. When we arrived, everyone was there – uncles, aunts, cousins – and there was a huge ceremony. It was wonderful to see the gifts and letters we’d sent over the years; to know they were really aware that someone out there cared about them. That’s where Plan International does such great work; they have teams on the ground that ensure every child is taken care of.

I started the Toni Garrn Foundation to further my activism with Plan, and to spotlight the projects I support. The more research I do and the older I get, the more I get to appreciate my job and realise how lucky I am. I was born into this, but I could have just as easily been born into a life like children in some other countries, with no shoes and no education. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Having travelled throughout Africa, I’m so aware that young girls there can be incredibly hardworking, yet many are taken out of school and often carry a baby on their back. They’re so talented and they can have such bright futures if given real opportunities. I really believe that these

” girls and women can move mountains.