World of Children Announces Top 2018 Global Nonprofit Leaders
Annual Awards Ceremony & Benefit in New York City to Recognize Five High-Impact Humanitarians for their Heroic Work on Behalf of At-Risk Children
Caryl Stern, Lily Aldridge Followill, Alina Cho and Andy Adler Announced as Event Hosts
NEW YORK, NY – September 17, 2018 – World of Children®, a global recognition and funding organization for individuals exclusively serving the needs of vulnerable children, revealed today its 2018 award winners. These five real-life heroes have dramatically improved the lives of at-risk children around the world through high-impact programs in the categories of education, health, humanitarianism, protection and youth helping youth. In addition to providing each Honoree with a substantial multi-year grant, World of Children will celebrate these recipients at the annual 2018 World of Children Awards Ceremony & Benefit on Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 583 Park Avenue in New York City.
“We are thrilled to welcome five of the bravest and most courageous humanitarians from around the globe to our family,” said World of Children Co-Founder Harry Leibowitz. “Three of these Honorees are being recognized for their efforts in countries we have never before had the chance to serve—Afghanistan, Senegal and Bolivia—which is a testament to the reach and growth of our organization and our mission to find and fund the heroic efforts of heroes who are on the ground in some of the most vulnerable places in the world. This is an exciting year, and we look forward to celebrating each of these individuals’ achievements in New York City.
The annual ceremony will also recognize New York-based Devin Beresheim (MARSH Finpro) and his wife Sarah with the World of Children Board of Governors’ Award for their unwavering dedication to the organization and elevating awareness for child advocates.
Caryl Stern (President and CEO, US Fund for UNICEF), Lily Aldridge Followill (World of Children Ambassador, International Model, Child Advocate), Alina Cho (World of Children Advisory Council, CBS Sunday Morning Contributor) and Andy Adler (Sportscaster, Journalist, TV Personality) will serve as event hosts for the evening.
This year’s Honorees include:
- 2018 World of Children Education Honoree: Ehsan Mehrangais, founder of Afghanistan Demain, a non-governmental organization that provides education, school programs and rehabilitation to disadvantaged street children in three of the poorest neighborhoods in Kabul regardless of their gender or religion.
- 2018 World of Children Health Honoree: Sandy Kemper, founder of Smiles Forever, which improves the quality of life for impoverished children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, through free preventative and restorative dentistry, and nutritional education to reduce conditions such as life-threatening abscesses, painful cavities and malnutrition.
- 2018 World of Children Humanitarian Honoree: Phyllis Keino, founder of Lewa Children’s Home and mother to hundreds of orphans and abandoned children in Eldoret, Kenya, providing them with a safe home, medical care, a first-class education and a caring family environment.
- 2018 World of Children Protection Honoree: Anta Mbow, founder of Empire des Enfants, a child-based shelter based in Dakar, Senegal that leads humanitarian action for children who have been exploited and are at risk of starvation, abduction, physical and sexual abuse after being forced to live on the streets.
- 2018 World of Children Youth Honoree: Caragan Olles, co-founder of Bright Young Dyslexics, the only organization to offer funding for private tutoring and assistive technology for dyslexic students in Wisconsin, in addition to in-school programs to educate teachers and students on how to accommodate students with learning disabilities.
World of Children receives thousands of nominations from around the world ever year and uses a uniquely rigorous vetting process to select Honorees, including extensive on-site investigations and an independent audit of each finalist. Recognized by the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates,” Honorees receive funding and educational support to help expand their program and ultimately impact the lives of even more children.
The event’s Honorary Chairs include Faeth Bradley, Daniela Braga, Leonard Gorski, Dean M. Klisura, Rebecca Minkoff and
Greg Scott. World of Children is led by Co-Founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz, retired senior executives from Procter & Gamble and Victoria’s Secret respectively.
About World of Children
World of Children unlocks the future for vulnerable children by funding, elevating and educating the most effective changemakers for children worldwide. Since 1998, the Foundation has dedicated more than $13 million to high-impact programs for children, led by nearly 120 Honorees working in over 50 countries. World of Children is recognized in the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates” and is the only global recognition and funding program that exclusively focuses on a broad range of children’s issues including health, education, safety and human rights.
World of Children has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, People, Town & Country, and Harper’s Bazaar. World of Children Honorees have also been featured by CNN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Fast Company, Glamour, TEEN Vogue, TIME for Kids, and USA Today, among other national and international media. The Huffington Post named Co-Founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz one of the most inspiring “power couples” in the country for their lifetime commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children around the world.
For more information, visit worldofchildren.org, or join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.