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.

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

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.

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?

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

I want to do action, romantic comedy, and I love drama.

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.