Liya Kebede named in TIME’s top 100 most influential people

TIME magazine named the 32-year-old Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede one of the top 100 most influential people in the world for 2010. The list includes US President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, African football superstar Didier Drogba, Oprah Winfrey, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs among others.

Liya Kebede is the most decorated Ethiopian model as well as maternal health advocate, clothing designer and actress, who has appeared twice on the cover of US Vogue.


According to Forbes, Kebede was the 11th highest-paid model in the world in 2007. Since 2005, Kebede has served as the WHO’s Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She launched Lemlem, a clothing line, in 2008.
Others on the list are:

• Han Han—The Shanghai native, 27, became China’s most popular blogger last year. He zeroes in on the ills of contemporary Chinese society.

• Matt Berg – The 32-year-old technology director for ChildCount is leading the push to track disease in Africa with 160-character text messages, or SMS.

• Malalai Joya, 32, started underground schools to educate girls in Afghanistan. The politician has bravely denounced the presence of what she considers warlords and war criminals in the parliament.

• Will Allen, 62, one of the leaders of a new movement in America’s low-income neighborhoods, growing good food for themselves.


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