Last Thanksgiving, while watching CNN’s HEROES awards, I was struck at how impressive Anuradha Koirala is in virtually any setting. She owned the stage, and deserved the final prize as CNN Hero of the Year, to be sure.
(see CNN Heroes award here). What a special moment to see the world recognize all she has done.
We first met Anuradha in early 2007, when we worked with her organization, Maiti Nepal, to clean water for their rescue home for trafficked women and children. It is the largest such home in Nepal and, arguably, the most reputable in the world. She was outspoken, passionate and charismatic in our initial encounter and has maintained that persona throughout dozens of meetings in the years following. This is one of the key reasons Maiti has accomplished so much with so little: She is a force!
Maiti Nepal is dedicated to creating a society free of human trafficking. Based in Kathmandu, with ten strategic satellite locations, two hospice/chronic care centers, and three prevention homes, Maiti Nepal provides border surveillance and prevention, shelter, healthcare, legal aid and rehabilitative services for girls and women who have been rescued from sex trafficking and other forms of violence. Other girls considered to be at-risk of trafficking are provided with life skill trainings and micro-loans in order to protect them from traffickers and other forms of exploitation.
To date, Anuradha and her team have helped more than 12,000 women and children since their founding in 1993.
Maiti Nepal was the first rescue home we worked with – shortly after starting a child's right – and has been instrumental in our drive to work with similar homes throughout Asia. Ensuring that rescue homes have clean and safe water for the residents they care for is an integral part of our mission today.
We now get to visit Anuradha and her team several times per year. It is primarily during our routine checkups on water systems that we see her – but admittedly our Nepal and US staff find themselves simply gravitating to Maiti to be in the presence of those who provide so much inspiration to our own organization. To be sure, watching consistently clean and safe water flow, at several of their sites, both humbles and emboldens us.
I was fortunate enough to be heading to the Tribuvan airport in Kathmandu at the same time Anuradha was returning from winning the CNN Prize. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a flight to catch! The airport – and all roads within a 5 km radius – were closed down due to the sheer volume of celebrants. If you can imagine roads lined with well wishers, as far as the eye can see, simply awaiting a chance to congratulate Anuradha, then you can imagine my ride to the airport. It was a remarkable sight, and an honor to be even a serendipitous participant.
.jpg)
For all the work the a child’s right team feels inspired to take on, it is only possible because we have privileged partnerships with people who are doing remarkable work with children, on the ground, and who entrust us with their water supply challenges. They believe that the (amazing) work they are already doing can go still further, and it is our honor to help make it so.
- Eric Stowe, June 2011
Please keep an eye on our work with Maiti Nepal on our ProvingIt website. (Maiti Nepal) There you will be able to view real-time updates from the field on progress that is being made.
(see CNN Heroes award here). What a special moment to see the world recognize all she has done.
We first met Anuradha in early 2007, when we worked with her organization, Maiti Nepal, to clean water for their rescue home for trafficked women and children. It is the largest such home in Nepal and, arguably, the most reputable in the world. She was outspoken, passionate and charismatic in our initial encounter and has maintained that persona throughout dozens of meetings in the years following. This is one of the key reasons Maiti has accomplished so much with so little: She is a force!
Maiti Nepal is dedicated to creating a society free of human trafficking. Based in Kathmandu, with ten strategic satellite locations, two hospice/chronic care centers, and three prevention homes, Maiti Nepal provides border surveillance and prevention, shelter, healthcare, legal aid and rehabilitative services for girls and women who have been rescued from sex trafficking and other forms of violence. Other girls considered to be at-risk of trafficking are provided with life skill trainings and micro-loans in order to protect them from traffickers and other forms of exploitation.
To date, Anuradha and her team have helped more than 12,000 women and children since their founding in 1993.
Maiti Nepal was the first rescue home we worked with – shortly after starting a child's right – and has been instrumental in our drive to work with similar homes throughout Asia. Ensuring that rescue homes have clean and safe water for the residents they care for is an integral part of our mission today.
After the installation of the water filter system at Maiti Nepal's rehabilitation home by a child’s right, diarrhea and other water borne diseases observed in the residents have been so drastically reduced that one can say it is nil.
Diarrhea and other water borne diseases are killer diseases, and people forget that it takes people lives. Medicine, although cheap, is not the solution. Millions of people die of unsafe drinking water, but we at Maiti Nepal are very lucky and fortunate to have safe drinking water which is every individual's right.
Maiti Nepal wants to thank everyone who made safe drinking water possible.
—Anuradha Koirala: Founder and Director of Maiti Nepal
We now get to visit Anuradha and her team several times per year. It is primarily during our routine checkups on water systems that we see her – but admittedly our Nepal and US staff find themselves simply gravitating to Maiti to be in the presence of those who provide so much inspiration to our own organization. To be sure, watching consistently clean and safe water flow, at several of their sites, both humbles and emboldens us.
I was fortunate enough to be heading to the Tribuvan airport in Kathmandu at the same time Anuradha was returning from winning the CNN Prize. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a flight to catch! The airport – and all roads within a 5 km radius – were closed down due to the sheer volume of celebrants. If you can imagine roads lined with well wishers, as far as the eye can see, simply awaiting a chance to congratulate Anuradha, then you can imagine my ride to the airport. It was a remarkable sight, and an honor to be even a serendipitous participant.
For all the work the a child’s right team feels inspired to take on, it is only possible because we have privileged partnerships with people who are doing remarkable work with children, on the ground, and who entrust us with their water supply challenges. They believe that the (amazing) work they are already doing can go still further, and it is our honor to help make it so.
- Eric Stowe, June 2011
Please keep an eye on our work with Maiti Nepal on our ProvingIt website. (Maiti Nepal) There you will be able to view real-time updates from the field on progress that is being made.
