Triveni Acharya of The Rescue Foundation
Acharya has fearlessly led the way in rescuing over 4,000 victims of child trafficking.
New York, NY (PRWEB) October 03, 2013
World of Children Award (http://www.worldofchildren.org) will honor Triveni Acharya – president of the nonprofit, Rescue Foundation – in New York City on November 7, 2013 for fearlessly rescuing young girls from the horrors of prostitution and brothels.
Before founding the Rescue Foundation, Acharya’s work as a journalist led her to a brothel in India where she met a 10-year-old girl who had been imprisoned, sexually assaulted and stripped of her rights. This experience drove Acharya to dedicate her life to rescuing victims of trafficking.
"The girls were so young that they did not even know the meaning of the word ‘sex,’" Acharya said. "This experience horrified me and on the spot I decided to spend my life to rescue these innocent girls."
Determined to take action, Acharya and her husband convinced a policeman to accompany them on their first rescue of another young girl. She had been imprisoned in a brothel in Mumbai’s red light district. When they arrived, a group of girls were waiting for them, all desperate to escape.
Since then, Acharya has led the way in rescuing over 4,000 victims of child trafficking. Children rescued are provided with health care, legal aid, counseling, nutrition and vocational training to begin rebuilding their lives. Currently, Rescue Foundation provides housing to victims of child trafficking in three safe houses in the western states of India. Funding from World of Children Award will help Acharya expand Rescue Foundation’s resources to help more children escape from traffickers.
"We are deeply inspired by the remarkable contributions our Honorees have made to changing the trajectory of children’s lives for the better," said Harry Leibowitz, World of Children Award Co-Founder and Co-Chair.
For 16 years, World of Children Award has used a rigorous vetting process to identify the world’s most effective changemakers for children and provide funding for their efforts to improve young lives. The nonprofit’s exhaustive research and vetting of applicants for their Awards has been lauded by some of the world’s leading philanthropic organizations.
"Sustainable, practical giving to real life heroes, that’s how we operate," said actress Stephanie March, celebrity ambassador for World of Children Award. "We are working to create a world that no longer needs our services. Until such a time comes, World of Children Award will continue to elevate those in the field."
World of Children Award is led by co-founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz, retired senior executives from Procter & Gamble and Victoria’s Secret respectively, who first started the organization to honor individuals serving children with a Nobel Prize-like award. Since 1998, World of Children Award has granted more than $5 million in cash grants and program support to 100 Honorees who are the driving force behind programs serving children in more than 140 countries.
About World of Children Award
Often referred to by the media as the Nobel Prize for Child Advocates, World of Children Award (http://www.worldofchildren.org) provides funding and recognition to support life-changing work for children. By discovering and elevating only the most effective changemakers for children worldwide, World of Children Award sets the gold standard in child advocacy.
All World of Children Award Honorees are dedicated to serving vulnerable children, many even risking their lives to save the life of a child. These extraordinary heroes work on the ground for little or no pay, running proven, sustainable programs with a track record of success.
Every year, World of Children Award receives hundreds of nominations for their annual Awards. Using rigorous criteria, World of Children Award selects only a handful of individuals who are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of children. Review panels are comprised of leaders with expertise in child-related issues. Once finalists are chosen, an international investigative agency leads an on-site investigation and independent audit to ensure programs adhere to the highest performance standards.
On November 7, 2013, World of Children Award will present one Health Award, one Humanitarian Award, two Youth Awards, one Alumni Award and one non-monetary Advocacy Award.
