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.

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.