Adriana Lima

Brazilian model Adriana Lima might be one of the longest-running and best known Victoria‘s Secret Angel, the spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics, one of the world’s highest-paid models, and an ambassador for IWC, Puma, and Chopard. Still, her charitable work makes her one of our favorite changemakers.

© GettyImages

Lima‘s philanthropic work includes helping with the orphanage “Caminhos da Luz” (Paths of Light), located in Salvador, also known as São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, and where she was born on 12 June 1981.

“The place where I grew up was really poor, and when I was young, I used to spend my time playing with the orphans,” she revealed in an interview.

“Now I’m helping that orphanage finish some construction work and get more space for the children. I don‘t know why, but if you look around in Brazil, you see pregnant women everywhere. Here you don’t see that as much. There the only thing they do is babies, babies, babies! Especially the poor families. Every time I go there, I buy clothes to give to [poor children].”

Lima also likes to give a helping hand to children of other countries. After appearing on Var mısın? Yok musun?, the Turkish version of Deal or No Deal, she donated the prize money to a hospital in Istanbul for children fighting leukemia.

© Adriana Lima

In 2013, she took a trip to Haiti to help marginalized communities. “I am continuously moved by the spirit of the people of Haiti, and The St. Luke Foundation for Haiti continues to support their needs,” the 40-year-old model posted to her Facebook. Lima also revealed how she‘s been “inspired and awed by the healthcare and education projects” of the organization, and her main goal is to raise awareness.