March 2008

Turning her back on a political career, Dhana Khatiwada established the Women Awareness Group (WAG) in Nepal to engage village women in an initiative to reduce rural poverty. She provides the tools with which the women take on roles in the village economy that transcend the boundaries of gender norms.

Maria Quezada works with Food for the Hungry (FH) in Constanza to provide basic sanitation, educational scholarships, vocational training and spiritual nourishment for children living in poverty.

By developing entrepreneurship and cultivating sound business values, José Santos Chango is empowering Ecuadorian farmers across different ethnic communities in the fight against rural poverty in a globalized world.

Daniel Negatu, a highly entrepreneurial and creative young leader, has joined the fight against HIV/AIDS by harnessing the power of the media to promote public awareness on the impact of the devastating disease in Ethiopia. His initiative is now changing the lives of Ethiopian children orphaned by AIDS and bringing them new hope for the future.

Shanthi Satchithanandam plants the seeds to strengthen women's rights and cultivate effective democracy in Sri Lanka. Her organisation, Viluthu, brings Muslim and Tamil women together to push for political participation and equal rights for women.

Evariste Habiyambere facilitates an innovative community development model in post-genocide Rwanda. He uses micro-financing to help the people overcome socioeconomic barriers and engage them in the collective construction of self-reliant communities.