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I was honored to be in the presence of such powerful women – women who I, and millions of others around the world, look up to and draw inspiration from. To hear First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a pair of Nobel Laureates (Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman) speak about the most pressing issues facing women and girls today was far more than a celebrity sighting – it was a call to action. Serving as examples to lead that action were 10 brave women who have risked their lives in advancing women’s rights.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the first to speak, and her introductory statement was simple but powerful: women & girls deserve the same rights as their fathers & brothers. She went on to point out that the many benefits of greater freedoms and opportunities for women. Improving the lives of women improves the lives of their families, strengthens their communities and has been proven to create more opportunities for economic growth and prosperity in cultural settings around the globe. Also, investing in women’s employment and health leads to healthier children and a better educated population overall.

First Lady Michelle Obama also gave an inspirational speech, highlighting the 10 women being honored. Women who sacrificed their lives by working to expose corruption in their countries and end oppression….These women sometimes endured death threats and horrifying violence. They saw poverty, discrimination and inequality and decided to use their voices and risk their lives to do something about it. Despite all the obstacles these women of courage continue to face, they are still running for office, running organizations and serving their communities. Young people can look to them as proof that with dedication and drive, you can follow your dreams and make an impact within and beyond your community.

Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee lightened up the room by making all the men shout “Happy International Womens Day,” saying this is not a day to be “neat” but a day of celebration for all women. She said that it is important for women to speak up for other women and that “No woman should sit down and allow a man to speak about her reproductive rights. [Also] issues of peace and security should not be left to men alone to work on….” Women know the context and can contribute as well.

Fellow Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman gave good advice, saying that all women should trust themselves, be in the front lines, and refuse any back seats. Furthermore, women should struggle for all rights and not just “women’s” rights. Ultimately, equality will serve everyone’s best interests, and men have to work hand in hand with women to solve problems.

Below is a list of the 10 “Women of Courage” who were honored, their respective titles and their countries. They are also photographed with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.

1. Ms. Maryam Durani, Kandahar Provincial Council Member (Afghanistan)
2. Major Pricilla de Oliveira Azevado, police officer, Rio de Janeiro Military Police (Brazil)
3. Zin Mar Aung, political activist and NGO co-founder (Burma)
4. Ms. Jineth Bedoya Lima, investigative journalist (Colombia)
5. Ms. Hana Elhebshi, architect and political activist (Libya)
6. Ms. Aneesa Ahmed, gender-based violence (GBV) activist and former Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs (Maldives)
7. Ms. Shad Begun, human rights activist and founder/executive director of Anjuman Behbood-e-Khawateen Talah (the Union of Women’s Welfare) (Pakistan)
8. Ms. Samar Badawi, political activist (Saudi Arabia)
9. Ms. Hawa Abdalla Mohammed Salih, human rights activist (Sudan)
10. The Honorable Safak Pavey, Member of Parliament (Turkey)

The positive energy given off by this collection of women, and the depth of appreciation that I and those around me felt for their accomplishments, was overwhelming. We could easily have devoted a day to celebrating the works of any one of the women who spoke or was honored at this event. As I have stated before though, in the end this was less a look back about their achievements, and more about the fact that each of us can learn from their examples. Never underestimate the power of a woman.

I read this beautiful poem earlier today and was touched by the words. I hope this inspires all women!

The Empowered Woman
by Sonny Carroll

The Empowered Woman, she moves through the world
with a sense of confidence and grace.
Her once reckless spirit now tempered by wisdom.
Quietly, yet firmly, she speaks her truth without doubt or hesitation
and the life she leads is of her own creation.

She now understands what it means to live and let live.
How much to ask for herself and how much to give.
She has a strong, yet generous heart
and the inner beauty she emanates truly sets her apart.
Like the mythical Phoenix,
she has risen from the ashes and soared to a new plane of existence,
unfettered by the things that once that posed such resistance.

Her senses now heightened, she sees everything so clearly.
She hears the wind rustling through the trees;
beckoning her to live the dreams she holds so dearly.
She feels the softness of her hands
and muses at the strength that they possess.
Her needs and desires she has learned to express.
She has tasted the bitter and savored the sweet fruits of life,
overcome adversity and pushed past heartache and strife.

And the one thing she never understood,
she now knows to be true,
it all begins and ends with you.

Happy International Women’s Day!

One of the highlight’s of my year was traveling to Europe. Paris, Rennes and Milan to be specific. I had a fabulous time and on top of that, I signed to a reputable agency in Italy. Here are a few details about my fantastic trip.

Paris, France

Paris was my destination city. When I arrived, I thought “the people are so FREE.” And by “FREE” I mean lots of kissing, holding hands, sharing baguettes and who could forget the random street parties…which hit me by surprise on my first day. I managed to get some footage of one of the many random street parties.

So that is what I mean by FREE…. See I was exhausted after a long flight from New York and this random street party was all I needed.

Another amazing experience in Paris was going to the very top of the Eiffel tower with my good friend, Younes. From the top, I could see most of Paris. I saw the Champs des Mars (A park which is named after the Campus Martius (“Mars Field”) in Rome, a tribute to the Roman god of war,) the Pantheon (Where the famous artists are buried,) Trocadero (An area of Paris across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower) and Quai Branly (A museum with primary art from all over the world).

Enjoyed a walk by the lovely Seine river and view of Montmarte. Who could forget the amazingly beautiful Tuileries garden that led to the Louvre.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground turkey
1 yellow onion
2 small peppers (green and yellow)
1 bag of Fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 (16 oz) jars of Ragu Sauce (Traditional)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry seasoning
1 teaspoon basil seasoning
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
3 egg yolks
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Prepping Lasagna sauce

In a frying pan, sautee ground turkey, onion, peppers and garlic until browned. Stir in ragu sauce. Season, basil, chili, Italian seasoning and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Prepping Lasagna Noodles

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add table spoon of olive oil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

Ricotta cheese & 3 egg yolks mixture

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with 3 yolks. Mix together and set aside.

Prepping lasagna for baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium to large baking pan spread 1 1/2 cups of ground turkey sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture and fresh spinach. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 cups ground turkey sauce over mozzarella. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Let it cool down and ENJOY!!!

I enjoyed walking at the Pink Rocks the Runway event on Friday night in DC. The show was headlined by project runway designer, Christian Siriano. Most importantly, the evening celebrated and featured breast cancer survivors under 40 with a pink couture gown fashion show.

Towards the end, a special grant was provided to the Capital Breast Care Center (CBCC) in support of their important work. The Capital Breast Care Center, was chosen as the 2011 community grant recipient. It works to provide women in the Washington, DC area with mammograms and health screenings regardless of their ability to pay. CBCC is currently diagnosing breast cancer at two times the national rate.

Facts about breast cancer:

1. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
2. Women, ages 15-40 die more frequently from breast cancer than any other cancer.
3. Washington DC has the highest mortality rate from breast cancer in the nation.
4. Most national breast cancer organizations recommend mammography at age 40….
5. Mammography can detect breast cancer up to two years before you or your doctor can feel a lump.
6. The single largest risk factor to developing breast cancer is being a woman.
7. Men do get breast cancer. Annually about 2,000 men are diagnosed.
8. Early detection is key. The 5 year survival rate after early stage diagnosis and treatment is nearly 90 percent.

Message to readers:

Early detection is extremely important and it can save your life. Please visit the website’s below to get more information.

www.pinkjams.org
www.bebrightpink.org
www.bebrightpink.org/programs/support-community/breast-self-exam-

Most people think of fitness as having good health and being physically fit. I believe that in order to be a well-rounded person, one not only has to be physically fit, but also mentally and emotionally fit. It is not easy and I am constantly faced with temptations but I think the more that you control yourself, the more it becomes a routine.

Physical Fitness

Exercising will lower your chances of getting sick, and once you make it a habit, it will only benefit you in the future. I enjoy going to the gym, but there are times that I can’t make it due to my busy schedule. Joining a sports team or registering for a fitness class would make it easier to commit to staying active. I have noticed that, whenever I am surrounded by peers’, working out becomes less of a chore.

Mental Fitness

Advertisements do a good job of persuading us to eat unhealthy foods but I think it is important to speak to yourself when faced with temptations. Especially when out at a restaurant with friends and the menu has little to no healthy choices, we feel pressured to eat unhealthy foods. It is ok to splurge once in a while without making it a habit. Cooking meals at home is healthier for you. I love cooking and I try to do it as often as I can. I like that I can make a fabulous meal suited to my taste without having to go to a restaurant. Mental Fitness is also the ability to exercise your mind by reading books and learning as much as you can through your everyday experiences.

Emotional Fitnes

When I am depressed or having a bad day, I tend to eat more than I usually would. I am definitely an emotional eater, and it is harder for me to keep fit when I am going through a tough situation. I think that the best way to deal with emotional eating is to keep busy, whether it is listening to music, taking a walk or eating carrots instead of chips.

You deserve to be fit!

Fitness is a full- time job, and it requires continuous work and commitment in order to maintain or reach a desired weight. Fitness prevents diseases such as diabetes and strokes. It is our responsibility to take care of our bodies by not only making healthy food choices but also staying active and not letting pressure from the media or our emotions control what we eat. At the end of the day, its all about having self-confidence! One does not have to be extremely thin or have muscles the size of a bodybuilder, but being healthy and happy is what counts. Physical, Mental and Emotional fitness lead to happiness. I vow to stay fit, you should too!

Such an inspiration to people all over the world. RIP  Wangari Maathai. You left the world a better place and continue to live in the trees and in our hearts.

Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for all the people who remembered me today
by sending cards, and letters, gifts and good wishes.

Thank you for all the experience of this past year;
for times of success which will always be happy memories,
for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my need for you, for times of joy when the sun was shining,
for times of sadness which drove me to you.

Forgive me
for the hours I wasted,
for the chances I failed to take,
for the opportunities I missed this past year.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year yet,
and through it to bring good credit to myself,
happiness and pride to my loved ones,
and joy to you. Amen.

Sandra Nyanchoka

I love to cook and I love to eat. And by the way, I AM A GOOD COOK! LOL I made Thanksgiving dinner for my family and baked turkey for the first time which turned out GREAT! And also made a variety of different dishes again on Christmas what can I say, my family just can’t get enough of my cooking. Also, being a model and having to maintain my shape, I have learned that home cooked meals are the best and the healthiest. So when I am home, I make delicious and healthy meals.

Some tricks to making delicious & healthy meals

So here we go… I know it so hard for some people to drink plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables. But trust me, it is possible! There are so many things that you can do with fruits and vegetables….If just the thought of biting into an apple is hard for you then chop up the apple and fry it and then drizzle it with honey. If you think you are such a monkey by peeling a banana and biting into it then pour some oatmeal into a bowl, get fat free yoghurt (Preferably ACTIVIA pour it on top of the oatmeal, cut up the bananas and place them on top of the yoghurt and then drizzle honey around your mix and there you have it…A TASTY HEALTHY Parfait. Like this….

Also you can make vegetable soup. Just get a bunch of different vegetables that you love, chop them up fry them with vegetable, corn or olive oil…whichever one you prefer. Add about two spoons of tomato paste and or Hunts tomato sauce to the mix. Sprinkle some paprika, curry powder and adobo and if you like medium spicy food then I recommend a few drops of Texas Pete hot sauce. My favorite is mushroom and spinach soup, I make it with green, yellow & red peppers, onions, tomatoes and all the powders that I mentioned. It is AMAZING! Take a look

Don’t tell me you wake up in the morning and drink a beer…BAD BAD BAD!!! Green tea or really any kind of tea is one of the best things that you can drink in the morning. If you don’t like the taste of tea, Adding lemon and honey makes it taste a lot better. Also if you don’t like lemon then, Tea Masala and skim milk on black tea does the trick. Orange juice in the morning is also good for you. It has Vitamin C and we all know that it helps boost the immune system. Also, it is important to drink plenty of water a day. Well drinking too much water is also dangerous, so don’t overdo it. No more than 7 cups a day. My trick to drinking water is to pour just a bit of juice or squeeze lemon into it, so that it has some flavor.

When you go out what do you eat?

Well I love SUSHI! A few of my friends think that sushi is the nastiest thing ever, but I love it and that’s usually what I eat when I go out. Also Chipotle and Boston Market have a variety of healthy choices. Anyway, you can go for something else. However, stay away from the large fries, triple cheese burgers and extra large Soda’s. And instead, try ordering a grilled chicken sandwich on wheat bread or a fish fillet. And when ordering a drink, I recommend Juice or a glass of red wine Now, it’s ok to eat pizza and or snack while watching a movie/game or during a celebration but do so in moderation.

Do you exercise?

Now it’s not always about what you put into your body but what your daily activities consist of. Do you go to the gym? If not, do you take walks around your neighborhood? Do you play sports? Do you have a job where you are constantly lifting and working your muscles day in and day out? Now if you never do anything physical then you have to make the time to exercise. My trick is, jumping rope in the morning, at least three times a week or taking a walk around my neighborhood. You will be surprised by the results you get, if you make this a habit. Most importantly, not only will you look good on the outside but you will feel good on the inside.

I hope this helped! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!!
Sandra Nyanchoka

P.S. Feel free to share or ask questions.

I was delighted to participate as one of the models for the Cinderella Foundation “Fashion with A purpose” this past Sunday, Nov 14th. The Cinderella Foundation is a non-profit organization designed to empower girls and women living in high risk and low income communities in the Washington Metropolitan region and abroad. During the show, I had the pleasure to walk for Designers, Amsale Aberra, a world-renowned couture bridal and eveningwear designer. Reco Chapple, a star on Bravo TV’s “The Fashion Show”. Jerell Scott, a finalist on Project Runway & Korto Momolu who was also a finalist on Project Runway. Below are some images from the event….