Liya Kebede Quotes

We should work to guarantee that there is a midwife or health worker by every woman's side during childbirth.

One thing modeling taught me is that the spotlight can change everything.

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.

If you don't have a dream in life, I don't know what you have. You have to want something beyond your reach; it's exciting when it works out.

In a hundred years, how do you want the world to be? Everybody should get together to make the world a better place.

I don't listen to people who say my dreams are impossible; I just work to prove them wrong.

The most inspiring piece of advice I've gotten is simply to persevere. My mom taught me to always keep going no matter what from an early age. When it feels too difficult to push forward, I always remind myself, 'This too shall pass,' and then I redouble my efforts.

Helping others isn't a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.

If nothing else, I want women to understand that they are powerful. If you look back at history, in almost every big moment, in every leap forward, you find ordinary women at the core. We have more ability to make changes in the world than we can imagine if we have the courage to try.

There's a saying in Africa: To find out you are pregnant is to have one foot in the grave.

Investing in women's lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations - and consequently in our own long-term national interests.

I'm a mom. I'm from Ethiopia. I gave birth in the U.S. and had all the proper care available to me. If I had given birth in Ethiopia - I don't know if I might have even survived it.

Prenatal care is one of the most effective ways to reduce maternal mortality because it identifies complications or high risks before emergency situations.

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.

A small gold plain cross was passed down from my grandma to my mom, then to me, and now to my daughter. It is always nice to own something that connects you to the women who made it possible for you to exist.

While I was pregnant, I had dozens of checkups. They covered everything from blood tests to ultrasounds, and I even had the option of attending birthing classes with my husband.

Take good care of your skin and hydrate. If you have good skin, everything else will fall into place.

I want to spend as much time as possible with my children, so I always like to keep my beauty and fashion routines effortless... but still chic!

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.

No other health disparity is so stark; virtually every woman who dies giving birth lives in a poor country.

It's one thing to donate money. It's a whole other thing to give an opportunity for someone to make his own money.

Every day we hear about the dangers of cancer, heart disease and AIDS. But how many of us realize that, in much of the world, the act of giving life to a child is still the biggest killer of women of child-bearing age?

It's always a tricky thing, trying to make aid sustainable.

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.

What I love most about Mother's Day is that I am acknowledged and honored for being a mother.

Helping others isn't a chore, it is one of the greatest gifts there is. I want to challenge the next generation of women to find a way to give back that inspires and fulfills them and weave it into their daily lives. If the next generation can learn that early on, we have a real chance to change the world.

The desert loves me. I love the desert. It's nice to be in the heat in Africa. I love it.

The best lesson that I've learned from my mother is that she just never accepted no for an answer and I think that's something that has stayed with me.

I think you should really research your cause, see if there are other people who are already doing the same thing you're doing and try to join forces because I really feel like collaborating is really important and very efficient. More is more, you know?

For my diet, I choose mostly organic. But in general, I am a big believer in trying to strike a balance with everything.

Creative new health strategies like micro-insurance for poor people or Kangaroo care for pre-term babies are transforming health outcomes in even the most low-resource settings. Dedication and innovation are transforming health care worldwide.

Children with healthy mothers are much more likely to survive childhood, attend school and live healthy, productive lives.

I really don't think there should be a movie about me. That's for sure!

I grew up watching films. Film has been part of my life since I was a child.

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.

I think, first of all, every time you want to play somebody who is real is always challenging and always scary, because you are given a responsibility of someone's real life.

When countries commit to protecting vulnerable lives, they should receive support from those who can provide it in order to make their programs a success.

Traveling around Ethiopia, I saw dozens of abandoned textile factories. People kept asking me to help them find work. So I thought I could make use of my experience in fashion to commercialize their products outside of Ethiopia.

It is important for me that I represent a brand that reflects my personality.

Miriam Were has made outstanding contributions to public health in the developing world. She brings basic medical services to women and children in East Africa.

I tend to gravitate toward Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang. Their designs are accessible and easy.

The message of our campaign is "Make every mother and child count". This campaign is not just about health. It is also a powerful call for radical progress in women's rights and the rights of their children. Too often, the health of mothers and children does not count. In too many parts of the world, they are forgotten.

For my wardrobe, I like to invest in classic pieces and pair them with more trendy new pieces and accessories each season.

In 1967, the world health community launched a global effort to eradicate smallpox. It took a coordinated, worldwide effort, required the commitment of every government, and cost $130 million dollars. By 1977, smallpox had disappeared.

I am always touched when friends make contributions to my foundation on my behalf.

I don't think we should judge celebrities for doing charity work. Period. Whatever their reasons for doing it, they are shedding light on issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.

I always loved having the chance to disappear in a story. I always was kind of obsessed with that.

Doing designs on a loom takes a lot of talent and experience, and, trust me, I won't be able to do that.

We can't end poverty if we fail to save the lives of our world's mothers.

President Obama has made maternal health one of the core priorities of U.S. international aid funding.