At just 21 years old, Yityish Aynaw has gone on a remarkable life
journey from a little girl playing barefoot in an Ethiopian village to
an Israeli beauty queen who's ready to shine on the world stage.
Last February, the
stunning 21-year-old grabbed international attention after becoming the
first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss Israel at the
country's beauty pageant.
"To be first, you have
all the attention focused on you and I have to represent my whole ethnic
group because through me they see the models," says Aynaw, who will
represent Israel at the next Miss Universe contest. "Through me they see
and discover our whole ethnic group."Aynaw was born in Chahawit, a small village in northern Ethiopia, near
the city of Gondar. Her father died when she was young and when she was
just 12 years old she lost her mother to a painful illness. Heartbroken,
she arrived in Israel with her brother to live with their Ethiopian
Jewish grandparents.As the first ever black Miss Israel, Aynaw is seen by some as a beacon
of hope that racial prejudice is beginning to fade away in the country.
Aynaw says that she's never been the victim of racism but adds that
there have been instances where friends of hers have been treated
differently because of the color of their skin.A pained little girl who has turned into a strong young woman, Aynaw is
now hoping to carve out a successful career in fashion and also serve as
a role model for her community.
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