LIYA KEBEDE SNAGS BEST MOTHER AWARD

Supermodel and Ethopia native Liya Kebede was honored at the first Annual Smart Cookie Awards which celebrated 11 mothers who have made a difference in the world for women and children.

Iman and Liya attended the Cookie Mag Awards in New York City last night:

Liya Kebede's Cookie Mag Mother Award:

Actor and model; founder of the Liya Kebede Foundation and World Health Organization (WHO) goodwill ambassador
Mother of Suhul, 6, and Raee, 18 months

"I grew up in Ethiopia, where it was very common to hear about women losing their lives during childbirth—to the point where, when I was pregnant with my son in the U.S., I worried, because I thought it was sort of normal for a woman to die while giving birth. As a goodwill ambassador for the WHO, I would do media interviews discussing maternal and child deaths in developing nations, and people would say, 'My God, what can I do to help?' I thought, Everyone wants to get involved—I have to give them something to participate in. The Liya Kebede Foundation works to reduce maternal and child mortality on a global scale—to ensure that every woman has access to skilled health attendants during pregnancy and childbirth. Growing up in Africa instilled in me a desire to give back—it's impossible to be surrounded by so much poverty and not feel that way. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to help."
[source: COOKIEMAG.COM]