ABUBACAR SULTAN
2001 HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Wona Sanana
Mozambique
Abubacar Sultan began his work for children’s rights when he was just 24 years old in his homeland of Mozambique. His accomplishments include starting the Children and War project in 1988, which aimed to rescue the thousands of children who were forced to fight in the War of Mozambique, a war which left 2 million children dead, 12 million homeless, and 10 million psychologically traumatized.
After the war in Mozambique, Sultan developed an innovative children’s rights initiative called Wona Sanana: the first attempt in the country to gather post-war information regarding the health and social conditions of children. Through the success of Wona Sanana, Sultan has continued in his efforts to improve children’s rights, particularly the living conditions and quality of life for children raised in war-torn regions. Although these projects have been locally implemented, the impact has been exchanged internationally as lessons, experiences and knowledge to partner organizations of Wona Sanana in several countries around the world.
Sultan has been invited to work with UNICEF in Angola and continues to support the child protection program to bring children hope after surviving a life of ongoing war and famine. Sultan is grateful for his experience as a 2001 Honoree and for the recognition he and his organization have received internationally.