Kebede was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A film director spotted Kebede while she was attending Lycee Guebre Mariam and introduced her to a French modeling agent.
After completing her studies, she moved to France to pursue work through a Parisian agency. Kebede later relocated to New York City. She has remarked that the modeling industry in Ethiopia is quite different from the catwalks on which she is now ubiquitous. In contrast, in Ethiopia she had to provide her own shoes for each runway show. Kebede was a contestant in the 1998 Face of Africa.
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.
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