A Humanitarian Idol
There are very few who will not recognize Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s scene. That memorable scene is in books, magazines, posters, mugs; you name it, it’s on there. Her acting is categorized as one of the most memorable, and one of the greatest during the Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her movies and impeccable style are well known around the world. Her fashion style has been copied over the decades, not just by fans, but by celebrities as well. Her roles in Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, and Sabrina are well known and her pixie hair cut has inspired fashion to this day. Yet, many are unaware of her struggles before her fame. Her family suffered while living in the Netherlands during the Second World War.
Her mother had assumed that like the First World War, the Netherlands, would remain neutral. This was not the case and while there Audrey lost her uncle, he was executed due to his Dutch society connections, and her half brother, Ian, was sent to a work came in Germany. During one interview she recalled the horrors that her family witnessed during the Nazi occupation. Along with her family, Audrey, suffered greatly and had to endure five years of the occupation. This part of her life is what I first learned while researching humanitarians and their contributions to UNICEF.
I had not seen any of her movies, or had heard of the iconic name until I discovered what she had done later in her life with UNICEF. She became my idol due to the amazing work she did in during her time with the organization. Audrey Hepburn was a Goodwill Ambassador and recounted how thankful she was when her and her family received international aid during the German occupation. She wanted to show the organization how grateful she was. After her appointment she visited many countries in an attempt to bring more awareness of the struggles children faced without food or shelter. She went to Ethiopia and saw conditions where children were starving in an orphanage. There were other countries where she saw the purpose of UNICEF. In Turkey, Venezuela, and Ecuador she recounted how many where willing to help the less fortunate. Many were able to receive clean water for the first time, get vaccinations for the first time, and build schools as well.
In other countries she saw how many of these struggles where man made and that the only solutions were peace. She became one of my idols when I read the following in a book recounting her later years: “Often the kids would have flies all over them, but she would just go hug them. I had never seen that. Other people had a certain amount of hesitation, but she would just grab them. Children would just come up to hold her hand, touch her.” John Issac was a UN photographer that stated that about Audrey and the children she wanted to help. Although there were many positive visits there was one while in Somalia where she was heartbroken and called the situation there “apocalyptic.” She goes on to describe walking into a nightmare and not being ready for such horrors. I walked into a nightmare. Audrey truly believed that “taking care of children” had nothing to do with politics. She stated that “perhaps with time, instead of there being a politicization of humanitarian aid, there will be a humanization of politics.”
Audrey Hepburn accomplished so much through her work with UNICEF. She was willing to put love and care in what she did after her career. The humanitarian she was before her death is the part of her life I fell in love with. I believe that many times when we idolize celebrities we don’t always see other parts of their lives that can influence us. Her efforts to help the less fortunate have enabled me to see what I can do to help them as well. I love her career and the movies she made, but I first encountered her big heart when reading what she did for others.
