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2007 Awards
CHILDREN'S NOBEL PRIZE® FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Eight Global Social Entrepreneurs Awarded Cash Grants at Nov. 8
"Nobel Prize ® for Children" Gala
New York, NY - The untold stories of eight social entrepreneurs whose groundbreaking work has
improved children's lives were unveiled today by World of Children, a ten-year
old philanthropy dedicated to identifying and launching the efforts of social entrepreneurs
who are changing the lives of children around the globe. The awards, which
carry a cash prize of up to $100,000, have been dubbed the "Nobel Prize ® for Children."
"These remarkable changemakers have worked selflessly to improve the lives of hundreds
of thousands of children, often despite financial hardship, cultural and peer
opposition, and inadequate and dangerous working conditions," said Harry
Leibowitz, World of Children's founder and chairman, "They are an inspiring
example of the tremendous impact just one individual can make."
For the past decade, World of Children has identified and vetted some of the most promising
young leaders worldwide and provided funding for their efforts to improve
children's lives. Their exhaustive worldwide research and vetting of
extraordinary individuals spearheading health and humanitarian initiatives has
been hailed by leading philanthropic organizations. The 2007 Award winners will
honored at the 10th annual World of Children awards ceremony on
Thursday, November 8th at the UNICEF House in New York City.
World of Children was founded by Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz, retired senior executives from Procter & Gamble and Victoria's Secret,
whose dream was to create a Nobel Prize® focusing on those who improve the lives of children.
Since 1998, World of Children has awarded more than $2 million in cash grants to 62 child advocates working in more than 35 countries.
2007 Humanitarian Award Honorees
Inderjit Khurana started developing schools on railway
platforms for children who live next to the railroad tracks in 1985; her
program now reaches 4,000 kids through 12 "platform schools" as well as 63
additional schools in India's underserved slums. The Ruchika Social Service Organization (RSSO), as Khurana's
organization is called, also provides health, nutrition and sanitation services.
Carmen Masias has fought youth drug abuse through research, services, public relations, and policy advocacy. Masias' organization
in Peru, CEDRO, serves 300 Peruvian children annually through three youth homeless shelters, a community service learning initiative and a
youth journalist program. Not only has Masias rescued children from drug lords at great personal risk, but forty percent of CEDRO
program participants are ultimately reunited with their families and an additional forty percent remain with the program until age 18.
Carol Sasaki founded the International Humanity Foundation (IHF) to help women and children escape sexual slavery. Today, IHF
works in Kenya, Thailand, and Indonesia to provide shelter, food, clothing, medical care and education to orphaned and at-risk children; foster survival
for tribes facing drought; enable youth from enemy tribes to live together and develop solutions for peace; and connect children in the U.S. to
students in need abroad.
2007 Health Award Honorees
Dr. Ricardo Bennun serves underprivileged children in his native Argentina. His organization,
Asociación PIEL, provides free surgery to babies born with cleft lips and palates, offers services to strengthen babies for surgery and combat widespread
malnutrition and starvation, and delivers long distance care, family-to-family counseling, and pre-surgical treatments for infants. Asociación PIEL has served
2,183 children over the last five years.
Dr. Samir Chaudhuri founded the Child in Need Institute (CINI) in Calcutta in 1974 and, as Director,
developed the "Life Cycle Approach" to improve child health by encouraging breastfeeding, childhood immunizations, and adolescent and
reproductive health, and education. CINI has reached an estimated 500,000 Indians over the past five years.
Dr. Mark Manary, a pediatrician at St. Louis Children's Hospital, developed "Project Peanut Butter" to help children recover from
starvation and malnutrition in Malawi,
Africa. Ninety percent of children who have been fortified with his peanut butter formulation have made a full recovery.
Over the last five years, an estimated 20,000 children have been saved, and his solution is now being integrated into the Malawi health care and social service systems.
2007 Founders Award for Youth Leadership
Teresa Cheptoo established Anti-Female Genital Mutilation/Early Marriages Advocacy Clubs in
Kenya and, with the help of teachers and classmates, recruited approximately 200 boys and girls in 13
schools to educate the community about the negative consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
Cheptoo has represented Kenya on a youth panel regarding protecting the right to education for girls
during the 51st Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Meghan Pasricha founded the Anti-Tobacco Action Club at age 16, recruiting over 4,000 Delaware
youth to pass the Clean Indoor Air Act that banned smoking indoors. Pasricha then traveled to India and
trained a group of youth leaders who in turn educated over 4,500 children and villagers about the risks of
smoking. Pasricha also founded Global Youth H.E.L.P. (Health, Education, and Leadership Program), a nonprofit that seeks to educate, train, and support youth
to make positive change in the world.
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About the World of Children Awards
The World of Children Awards recognize and elevate those selfless individuals who make a
world of difference in the lives of children across the globe, regardless of
political, religious or geographical boundaries.All Award funds go to support the proven and
sustainable programs initiated and managed by the winners. For more information
about World of Children, visit www.worldofchildren.org.
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