Liya Kebede
Liya Kebede
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian-born model, maternal health advocate, clothing designer, and actress. Forbes identified her the eleventh-highest-paid top model in the world in 2007, and she has appeared three times on the cover of U.S. Vogue...
NationalityEthiopian
ProfessionModel
Date of Birth1 March 1978
CityAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
CountryEthiopia
college careers pay
I never thought modeling would become my career. I thought it was something I'd do to pay my way through college.
drama want comedy
I want to do action, romantic comedy, and I love drama.
stories chance kind
I always loved having the chance to disappear in a story. I always was kind of obsessed with that.
trying aids tricky
It's always a tricky thing, trying to make aid sustainable.
opportunity giving donate
It's one thing to donate money. It's a whole other thing to give an opportunity for someone to make his own money.
trying balance bigs
For my diet, I choose mostly organic. But in general, I am a big believer in trying to strike a balance with everything.
taught spotlight modeling
One thing modeling taught me is that the spotlight can change everything.
mother children military
When our mothers are alive and healthy, they do extraordinary things... like the mothers of Plaza de Mayo, who marched in Argentinean plazas, defying the military junta dictatorship and demanding the whereabouts of their abducted children... or the Liberian mothers who faced down civil war armed only with T-shirts and courage.
fashion school littles
I actually started modeling in Ethiopia, because that's where I grew up, and I started out by just doing little fashion shows for school, and I liked it so much that I started pursuing it.
pairs accessories pieces
For my wardrobe, I like to invest in classic pieces and pair them with more trendy new pieces and accessories each season.
doctors play roles
Midwives and doctors play a crucial role preventing unnecessary maternal deaths. They educate women about nutrition, health and family planning. And they step in when complications arise.
christian growing-up kids
I'm Christian. Growing up in Ethiopia, it's half-Christian and half-Muslim. You grow up with Muslim kids. I'm very much aware of their religion.
children firsts young
When a woman has her first child in places like Africa, they're really young. They can be 12, 13,14, so their frames are really small, and they're usually malnourished.
years together world
In a hundred years, how do you want the world to be? Everybody should get together to make the world a better place.