00:01Model, mother, manager.
00:03Zahra Nuru from Germany is a woman of many talents.
00:06She was the first black winner of Germany's Next Top Model
00:09and became the founder of a fair trade company
00:12importing coffee from Ethiopia.
00:14Why did she give up the glamorous world of fashion
00:17for a socially conscious business?
00:23The search for purpose was so important to me
00:25because I'd been to Ethiopia
00:27and was confronted with real poverty there.
00:32That affected me deeply
00:34and I realized that my public perception
00:36and a glamorous appearance
00:38just wasn't enough for me.
00:43In 2016, Zahra and her sister Zahli
00:45founded their own coffee label, Nuru Coffee in Berlin.
00:49They obtained the beans for their fair trade coffee from Ethiopia,
00:52the country their parents left
00:54when they emigrated to Germany in 1986.
00:57We wanted to support Ethiopia, the land of our parents, long term,
01:04but also to change things on the ground for the people there.
01:08And since coffee is the country's biggest export commodity,
01:13it was only natural for us to want to trade that
01:16and do something good.
01:18In 2009, Zahra won the casting show Germany's Next Top Model,
01:23presented by supermodel Heidi Klum.
01:27Overnight, she was a household name and face.
01:29She had years of success as a model and TV presenter.
01:33But eventually, she found herself unable to identify
01:35with the glitter and glamour of fashion and show business.
01:38I think the turning point came for me when I got to present a TV program
01:45and was flown to New York City to try out some of the most expensive things.
01:51I actually ate ice cream with gold leaf worth a thousand euros.
01:58And for me, that was the moment I realized, no, this can't be it.
02:04Zahra began flying regularly to Ethiopia with her sister Zahli.
02:10They inspected coffee plantations and certified organic cooperatives
02:14where they purchased their beans.
02:16The direct contact with the coffee growers on site
02:18is extremely important to the two sisters.
02:25I've only been here five minutes and I'm sweating.
02:28It's extremely hot with the midday sun beating down
02:31and it's unbelievable how much work goes into a cup of coffee.
02:35And it's incredible to see these women picking everything by hand.
02:40Even if Ethiopia numbers among Africa's fastest growing economies,
02:43about 30% of its people are still living below the poverty line.
02:47Ethiopian women are especially hard hit.
02:50So Zahra and Zahli are determined to support the female workers above all.
02:54We want to know how they work, so back in Germany,
02:57we can show what goes into this and give them a voice.
03:01At the end of this visit, the sisters were invited to an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
03:08Even though Zahra was born in Germany in 1989 and raised there,
03:11she feels like this East African country has become a second home to her.
03:20Every time I come to Ethiopia, I'm a different person.
03:23I feel totally relaxed deep down.
03:26I'm so happy because I know time flows at a different pace here.
03:31And the people are completely different.
03:34You're not as stressed or hectic, chasing after more success.
03:38People here are so grateful and you can sense that.
03:42And it does something to you.
03:43Zahra has also written a book about her path titled Roots – How I Found My Roots and How Coffee Changed My Life.
03:53She has also founded a non-profit association for women, Nuru Women,
03:57together with Zahra and acts as an ambassador of Germany's Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
04:04Now the mother of two children has gone back into modelling.
04:07When modelling was all I had, I was very dependent on others liking me, no matter how tall, slim or beautiful I was.
04:19Someone else was always making decisions about my success and that always bothered me.
04:24Now I'm more independent and I've found my direction thanks to Nuru Coffee and Nuru Women.
04:31So I enjoy working with creative people again as well.
04:33A model, social entrepreneur and ambassador.
04:40In the search for her roots in Ethiopia, Zahra Nuru has found a whole new set of life goals.
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