Liya Kebede
Simple Solutions
After AIDS, the No. 1 killer of women in developing countries is childbirth- and pregnancy-related issues. Every minute, one woman dies — and not because of issues that are difficult to fix. It's because there is no access to clean water or electricity or a doctor. A flashlight, for example, can change people's lives if it allows a midwife to get to the house of a woman who is delivering in the middle of the night where there is no electricity.
Medium and Message
I just acted in this film [Desert Flower] about female genital mutilation (FGM). We shot a lot of it in Djibouti, a place where a lot of FGM happens. We are showing it in Western countries and really raising awareness on this issue. But we also went back to Djibouti, in the desert where we shot, and put up this huge screen and invited the whole village to come watch this movie. That was amazing, to reach out to people and show them something and teach them without being forceful or shoving it down their throat.
Making it Last
A lot of it has to be about education. You want those you are helping to take the effort over later, and then it can become self-sustaining.