Liya Kebede and the family bedazzle at Glamour magazine’s 23rd annual Women of the Year gala in New York. The model and her kids look fashionable as ever in their formal attire, giving photographers something marvelous to capture with their cameras’ lens.
Kebede is recognized by Glamour as a woman of the year because of her efforts to give mothers in Third World countries access to health services that specialize in safe births and nutrition for small children. A staggering number of women and children in Third World countries die every year because they do not have the bare necessities during pregnancy and after childbirth. Liya’s foundation searches for solutions to this problem and has worked to no end to spread the word across the globe.
“Giving birth is one of the most joyous gifts to a mother. But sadly in developing countries, giving birth can mean death,” says the supermodel. “Pregnancy and childbirth is one of the main reasons that mothers die in developing countries; they die from preventable or treatable conditions because they do not have any access to basic medical care. Most women around the world do not deliver in clinics or hospitals; this is due to the lack of access, the lack of education among the communities, and the lack of policy makers and international donors that focus on maternal health. The statistics show a devastating need for well-equipped and well-staffed hospitals in developing countries.”
Liya has two kids, Suhul and Raee, with husband Kassy Kebede. Learn more about her organization here.
Photo: Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com
