Picked on by other kids for her skin tone, Khoudia Diop’s story of overcoming bullying and rising to success is touching the hearts of thousands.

“I was picked on by other kids, when I was a bit younger because [of the darkness] of my skin tone,” The Huffington Post quoted Diop as saying.

“But this is something that is actually quite normal in Senegal. It’s not a nice feeling and I’ve had to learn to love myself more every day and tune out the negativity, which helps a lot!”

Diop is a 19-year-old from Senegal who has faced bullying throughout her life simply because of the colour of her skin.

Currently working with The Coloured Girl, Inc., a group that promotes self-love and celebrates women of all backgrounds, she now aspires to be a model.

Diop has amassed an Instagram fanbase of over 200,000 and shares words of wisdom and empowerment with her followers.

“We have lots of new offers and amazing projects in the works and I’m excited for the future!” HuffPost quoted her as saying.

“I’m currently also enrolled in school, full time. So I’m pursuing my degree and am going to continue modeling as well.”

This summer, she made a stunning appearance in The Colored Girl’s The Colored Girl: Rebirth campaign.