Mia Farrow may be most well known for her relationship with director Woody Allen and its disastrous end, but the actress also takes time out of her day to do some serious humanitarian work.

Farrow, who has served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador to Africa, has turned her attention to perceived injustices carried out in Ecuador by oil giant Chevron. The company was ordered to pay a $9-million fine for polluting the Amazon river area in the time period between 1964 and 1990.

The offenses in question were committed by Texaco, which Chevron acquired in 2001, thereby taking on the burden of its lawsuits. Chevron is claiming that the trial was marred with corruption and refuses to pay the fine, but the company is unlikely to earn any sympathy given the track records that oil companies have with oil spills and general environmental destruction. Claims that Ecuadorians have contracted cancer from the pollution near their homes piles even more damning evidence onto the company.

Farrow traveled to the small nation to witness the pollution, and expressed anger when shown pools of oil harming the environment. She even symbolically dipped her hand in the oil, following in the footsteps of other celebrities who have tried to call attention to both themselves and the plight they are observing.

Farrow’s visit is unlikely to have any measurable effect on the situation in Ecuador, but anytime an individual tries to draw attention to injustice can be counted as a win for humanity in my book.

[Image via ENOUGHproject]