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ChildFund International Honored at 2015 Clinton Global Citizen AwardsChildFund International was among a group of organizations honored at the 2015 Clinton Global Citizen Awards last night for its tremendous leadership in responding to the Ebola crisis over the past year. In 2014 ChildFund joined with Airlink, a rapid-response relief organization that links airlines with nonprofits, and other partners in a CGI (News - Alert) Commitment to Action to build an Air Bridge to West Africa. Through this collaboration, ChildFund helped to fill three planes with critically needed medical supplies and was one of the first organizations to equip teams on the ground to take action in the hardest-hit areas of Liberia and Sierra Leone. ChildFund also responded to the unique needs of children who lost one or both parents to Ebola by opening the first facility dedicated to their care. ChildFund's nine Interim Care Centers in Sierra Leone and Liberia provided children with safe quarantine facilities as well as food, health care and trauma counseling while also working with those countries' governments to return the children to family care. Through partnerships with Airlink and other CGI members, such as P&G, AmeriCares and DripDrop, ChildFund was able to send 10 ocean containers filled with supplies to keep these facilities well stocked and health workers in three countries, including Guinea, well protected. The Clinton Global Citizen Award for Leadership in Humanitarian Response was accepted on behalf of the organizations by Raj Panjabi, CEO of Last Mile Health. "These 24 incredible organizations represented on the stage this evening more than answered the call for help. Together they mounted a truly extraordinary effort. They mustered more than 500 tons of commodity support, lent thousands and thousands of hours of essential coordinating help and direct service on the ground," said Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation. Established in 2007, the Clinton Global Citizen Awards embdy President Bill Clinton's call to action by honoring outstanding individuals who exemplify global citizenship through their vision and leadership. Previous honorees include environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio, education activist Malala Yousafzai and President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, among other internationally recognized civic and foundation leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs. "I believe the award really recognizes the courage and conviction of aid workers who put their own health and safety at risk to care for those in need, particularly at a time when there was considerable fear about the disease around the world," said Anne Lynam Goddard, ChildFund President and CEO. "We are grateful and proud to be honored by President Clinton along with some of our key partners." About ChildFund International ChildFund International is a global child development and protection agency serving more than 18.2 million children and family members in 30 countries. For 75 years, we have helped the world's deprived, excluded and vulnerable children survive and thrive to reach their full potential and become leaders of enduring change. As a member of ChildFund Alliance, we create supportive environments in which children can flourish. For more information about ChildFund, visit www.ChildFund.org. About the Clinton Global Initiative Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel (News - Alert) Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries. In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI also convened CGI Middle East & Africa, which brought together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook (News - Alert) at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150928006492/en/ |
