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Model Halima Aden is in the PH and hung out with Iza Calzado

Halima Aden, who’s known as the first hijab-wearing woman to join the Miss Minnesota pageant and walk international runways, is currently in the Philippines. But why?

Based on her Instagram posts, Halima was invited by the Vita Coco and Hope in a Bottle team. She posted a group photo with women like Iza Calzado, Karen Davila, and Hope founder Nanette Medved-Po.

She also shared snaps from her visit to the Hope office and how she’s learning about their projects in the Philippines. Plus, some BTS while she took selfies during their lunch.

Halima is an IMG-signed Somali-American model who’s advocating for diversity and acceptance of women like her in the field of fashion, beauty, and so on. Her modeling contract even states that she will wear her hijab in all her projects. She has since walked the runways of New York, Paris, and Milan, and was featured in the cover of several magazines like Vogue and Paper.

Aside from modeling work, Halima was named a UNICEF ambassador last year. “She brings awareness to programs that save and protect children’s lives and use her platforms to advocate for children’s rights. As a refugee herself, she uniquely understands the needs, along with the hopes and dreams, of the 30 million children around the world who have been forcibly displaced by conflict,” UNICEF USA noted.

If you think about it, Hope in a Bottle is an organization that donates 100 percent of its profits toward “building public school classrooms in the Philippines.” So it’s aligned with what Halima’s been doing for UNICEF—perhaps a hint on why she’s here in the country.

Photo courtesy of Halima Aden’s Instagram account

Screengrabs from Halima Aden’s Instagram Stories

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