FATIMA TIMBO: I just feel like, I have a purpose in life.
I’m not here to just be laughed at, instead I’m here to be an inspiration.
FATIMA TIMBO: I’m about 4 foot tall.
FATIMA TIMBO: I was born with a condition called achondroplasia.
FATIMA TIMBO: This green dress, I love to wear it on nights out because I love off-the-shoulder dresses,
and this is in the size small. A lot of people ask me do I wear kid's clothes and I say,
“No, I just wear adult clothes”.
FATIMA TIMBO: I do need to adjust the length of jeans and the length of my jumpers and things like that.
On a night out, I would wear something bright like this. I like neon pink, plus it's like bodycon.
I like wearing tight stuff because I like my body so; I like the shape of it.
The colour yellow, it's just, it's just so banging on me.
FATIMA TIMBO: When I was like, seven or eight, that’s when it like, properly hit me that,
I’m smaller than everyone else and I can't do, I don’t have the same abilities as everyone else.
It's not in me to let people’s opinions and reactions stop me from what I want to pursue in my life.
Whatever challenge, whatever obstacle comes my way,
I just try, I try my best to push against it all, go overcome it.
AMADU TIMBO: There are challenges that are always there. In terms of when Fatima goes out, people will stare
at her. Psychologically yes, now she’s very bold, very vocal but she struggled for very long time in terms of
building confidence. So, that struggle was always there for us to try and reassure, support her as much as
possible. She is special, that's the keyword I will use and that’s the bond I have with her, throughout our life.
FATIMA TIMBO: If I didn’t have, you know, an amazing family I don’t know where I’d be because they keep me
going, they keep me strong.
FATIMA TIMBO: My confidence has flourished over these last few years. I feel like me being able to come out
of my shell and discover who I am, and I feel like I can do whatever I want to do.
It doesn’t matter about my condition.
RAHMA HASSAN: When we first met like, I already knew that you were small and stuff like that.
I do feel protective over her. When people see her, it's like, they’re seeing like, something so new and they
take pictures.
FATIMA TIMBO: They don’t consider me as like an actual human.
RAHMA HASSAN: Yeah, an actual human, yeah, I didn't want to say that, without being mean.
FATIMA TIMBO: No but it's true, it's true. RAHMA HASSAN: Yeah.
FATIMA TIMBO: People, they see me, they don’t think,
“Oh she’s got a heart, she’s got feelings." They just think, “Oh my God, there's a dwarf, let me take a picture.”
FATIMA TIMBO: I do get a lot of reactions from people on the street. I think a lot of people, when they first see
me, it's their first time seeing a little person. So, their reaction is just like, “Oh my God, there’s a little person.”
I usually see them as Oompa Loompas from ‘Charlie And the Chocolate Factory’ but they don’t see me like, in
real life so, they don't know how to react to me.
RAHMA HASSAN: I actually realised you do get a lot of attention.
FATIMA TIMBO: It's overwhelming at times but, I’m just, I’ve just gotten used to it.
AMADU TIMBO: I think it's the stigma, stigma in the sense that this is something not temporal.
This is something permanent that you live with for the rest of your life.
AMADU TIMBO: That’s a challenge that every single day that Fatima steps out in the public,
she gets stared at. That is something that is really difficult, however tough you are.
FATIMA TIMBO: I saw a ad on Instagram from a company called ‘Nunude’ and they were asking for
people with dwarfism. And my thoughts were “Oh my gosh, I can't believe they’re asking for people that are like me.”
So, you know, I was happy about that.
FATIMA TIMBO: They said, you know, we want you to be in the self-love campaign.
FATIMA TIMBO: I forgot about, you know, my insecurities and just thought, “Let me just be confident.”
FATIMA TIMBO: In front of the camera, I just learn how to, you know, do the modelling moves and it was just
amazing from there. When I got the pictures and posted it on my Instagram, all my followers loved it.
I’ve just gained so much confidence from that and from there, I was able to do music videos, shoots, public speeches.
JOANNA MORALES: I think her confidence now and her contagious smile, it brings something to the room.
So, I think that’s what makes her stand out. It's about how can you help other women, how can you be a role
model, not just the model. It's not about looks, it's about what you come with as a package.
FATIMA TIMBO: I like being me, I like being confident, I like having fun and I like just the atmosphere of being in
the photo-shoot because it's just so fun.
You can't change what people do or think, you can always change yourself at the end of the day.
So, being able to just go out of your comfort zone doing things that you wouldn’t usually do is the best thing to do
because that’s how I was able to gain confidence.
FATIMA TIMBO: My main goal is to inspire others with physical conditions and also inspire people that
“It is ok, it's ok to be different.”