The 22-year-old was born in Brazil’s Porto Velho, the capital city of Rondônia, located near the Madeira River in the Amazon. Her native state is now part of what’s known as the Amazonian Arc of Deforestation—a rapidly disappearing tropical forest caused by the logging and mining industries—which drove her family to frequently bounce from one territory to the next. “I was raised in the middle of a war, between [us and] loggers and miners,” Zaya tells Vogue. She observed the increase in deforestation as “construction companies were discovering the rich, natural resources in the Amazon. When I was a kid, my grandmother lost her whole territory.”

It makes sense why Zaya—a member of the Kamurape and Guarani Mbya ethnicities—has made environmental activism a big part of her growing platform. Coming from a family of strong women that she describes as “leaders and shamans,” the New York City–based model has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of climate change on her native country and now feels a duty to use her moment in the spotlight to continue her advocacy. “This industry brings a lot of visibility,” says Zaya, who has appeared in the pages of Vogue Brazil and was awarded the fashion-influencer-of-the-year accolade at this week’s Latin American Fashion Awards. “It’s a job that I can use to bring something bigger—a revolution.” It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.