Become An Inspiration

In the early stages of Angelina Jolie public life she was known as the wild child actress who snogged her brother on the red carpet at the Oscars, wore a vial of her then husband Billy Bob Thornton blood around her neck and admitted to self harming and drug use.

But all that is now long forgotten as the Oscar winner splits most of her time between her extensive humanitarian work and bringing up her beautiful family of six. Let's take a look at how she's turned into a role model for so many.

Angelina Jolie in 2002

Angelina has said that she first become aware of the extent of the problems people around the world face when she filmed Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Cambodia in 2001. She later said that seeing and meeting the people of that war ravaged country 'opened my eyes.'

Angelina Jolie in Chad, 2004 cheap oakleys sunglasses

The suffering of the people in Cambodia caused Ange to contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to find out how she could help. She then went on her first overseas mission an 18 day trip to Sierra Leone and Tanzania. She followed that up with a two week trip back to Cambodia and then met with Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Not long after she was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and her humanitarian work really got going.

Angelina Jolie speaking as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2002

Since being appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina has visited over 30 countries and even risked her life. On a recent trip to Afghanistan she revealed that she had written a farewell letter to Brad Pitt after being warned she was a target for attack. Two weeks after she arrived home a UN bunker was attacked and everyone inside it was killed.

Angelina is beyond admirable in her courage for visiting highly volatile areas, during her time as a Goodwill Ambassador she's visited Darfur in Sudan during the verocious conflict there, Chad during its civil war, Iraq and Libya during the Libyan revolution.

Angelina Jolie in Pakistan, 2005

Angelina, on the whole, has focused her attention on refugees and people who have been displaced due to conflict. This cause has seen her visit Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Cambodia, Pakistan, Thailand, Ecuador, Kosovo, Kenya, Namibia, Sri Lanka, North Caucasus, Jordan, Egypt, New Delhi, Costa Rica, Chad, Syria, and Iraq. fake oakleys

She has also helped those who have been displaced by natural disasters, including earthquake victims in Haiti.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in Haiti, 2006 cheap oakleys

Angelina has also set up and financed many charity organisations. In 2003, she founded the Maddox Jolie Pitt Foundation (after her first son, Maddox, who she adopted from Cambodia) which is dedicated to community development and environmental conservation in Cambodia.

Angelina Jolie in Ecuador, 2010

But it doesn't stop there, in 2007 Ange joined forces with economist Dr. Gene Sperling and founded the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which funds education for children affected by man made or natural disasters.

And in 2008, she worked with Microsoft to set up the Kids in Need of Defense, a group of law firms and volunteers who have commiteed to giving legal counsel for immigrant kids in the US.

Angelina Jolie with asylum seekers in Malta, 2011

Both Angelina and Brad dig deep when it comes to charity, with the pair donating millions and millions of their own money each year. Records from 2009 show the couple gave at least $7m to charitable causes. cheap oakleys sunglasses

Angelina and Brad chat with refugees in Costa Rica, 2006

When Brad and Angelina's twins, Knox and Vivienne, were born the couple sold the first images of the babies to People and Hello! for $14 million, using the entire amount to help fund the Maddox Jolie Pitt Foundation.