2011 Asia-Pacific STARS Impact Awards Announced

London 24.11.11: The STARS Foundation has selected three outstanding organisations working with children for this year’s 2011 Asia-Pacific STARS Impact Awards. The annual award scheme - now in its 5th year - carries $100,000 of unrestrictive funding and consultancy support for each recipient, giving organisations the flexibility to respond more effectively to the challenges they face and to the needs of the children they serve. One organisation in the region has been chosen for the Rising Star Award.

The STARS Foundation supports frontline, impactful initiatives improving children’s health, education and protection. Through the Impact Awards, the STARS Foundation helps already effective organisations become even stronger by enhancing their capacity to deliver vital services on the ground. The organisations received the respected accolade at a ceremony in London on 24 November 2011.

Education Award:

Dhaka-based Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) was selected as this year’s recipient of the Education award. CSID works with some of the most marginalised children and young people in Bangladesh, offering them access to education and employment and promoting their inclusion into society. By advocating for equal rights for people with disabilities, CSID’s work centres around their inclusion into mainstream society, whilst combating prejudice, which favours institutionalisation and marginalisation. CSID’s two-fold approach to tackling prejudice involves working at the national level, to advocate for the rights of disabled people and at the community level, to motivate and sensitise parents, leaders, teachers on the need of inclusion, not institutionalisation.

“Centre for Services and Information on Disability is a very community-based organisation, providing a much needed service to children and adults with disabilities, working tirelessly to ensure they have access to same basic rights as people without disabilities,” said Cecile Hyafil, Programme Officer, Asia-Pacific, STARS Foundation.

Protection Award:

Kathmandu-based Nepal GoodWeave Foundation was selected as this year’s recipient of the Protection award, for its pioneering work in preventing child labour in the carpet-weaving industry by successfully engaging businesses to abide by the GoodWeave licensee agreement – a child-labour free stamp of good practice. Through workplace inspection, monitoring and consumer labelling, the GoodWeave carpet label provides the best possible assurance that no illegal child labour was used in the manufacture of a carpet or rug. The organisation – the only one of its kind in Nepal - also works to provide viable alternative opportunities for child workers, through education and vocational training.

“Thanks to the work of Nepal GoodWeave Foundation, more than half of the carpet industry capacity in Nepal - including some spinning industries - are now subject to inspection and monitoring by the organisation. Particularly impressive is the holistic approach the organisation takes towards rehabilitation and prevention,” said Cecile Hyafil, Programme Officer, Asia-Pacific, STARS Foundation.

Health Award:

Kathmandu-based Restless Development Nepal was selected for this year’s Health award for capitalising on the enormous potential of young people to lift the country out of poverty by putting them at the forefront of improving health and sanitation conditions of communities in Nepal. Through their youth-led awareness raising programmes focusing on HIV, hygiene and sanitation, the agency has helped nurture a generation of young leaders who care about the health of their communities.

“Restless Development Nepal’s excellent use of international, national and local volunteers to bring about change within marginalised communities has resulted in the development of a sense of leadership and responsibility amongst the local youth. The effective use of youth-led community radio shows have proven to be instrumental in delivering health education messages on HIV, sanitation and hygiene,” said Cecile Hyafil, Programme Officer, Asia-Pacific, STARS Foundation.

Rising Star Award:

In addition to the Impact Awards, a smaller Award may be made at the discretion of the STARS Board of Trustees to recognise the work of an organisation whose application demonstrates potential as a ‘rising star.’ The STARS Foundation has selected has selected Dili-based Ba Futuru as this year’s Rising Star of the 2011 Asia - Pacific Impact Awards.

Through its activities, the organisation contributes to peace-building and sustainable human development by facilitating the psychosocial recovery of conflict-affected, vulnerable and at-risk children, and by developing the knowledge, skills and values of community leaders, young people and their care-givers in the areas of human rights, children’s rights and non-violent conflict transformation. It works closely with adults in the community to transform mistrust and violence into peace and self-directed growth.

“Every so often, we come across an organisation whose potential leaves us with no doubt that it is a rising star. Ba Futuru’s contribution to loosening the grip and influence of Timor-Leste’s cycle of violence, by placing children’s rehabilitation at the forefront of the country’s reconstruction, is an inspiration to us all,” said Cecile Hyafil, Programme Officer, Asia-Pacific, STARS Foundation.

Notes:

• The STARS Foundation was founded by Amr Dabbagh and the Dabbagh Group in 2001, in the belief that local organisations are best-placed to respond to the needs of their communities and the children in their care. All too often these organisations are constrained by a rigid approach to funding, which can limit their effectiveness. For more information visit http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/

• Case studies and photography are available.

• The STARS Impact Awards programme, launched in Africa in 2007, and now open to organisations in 80 countries, is committed to helping already effective charities become even stronger by enhancing their capacity to deliver vital services on the ground. By supporting these outstanding organisations, and recognising the deep and lasting impact they are having on entire communities, the Impact Awards also inspire others to reach similar standards of excellence.

• The STARS Foundation’s partnership approach is reflected in the nature of the innovative package offered. The package combines US$100,000 of unrestricted funding with tailored consultancy support – offering organisations the flexibility they need to respond to local challenges and plan for the future.

• The awards approach is underpinned by a rigorous selection process, which has been developed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Awards recipients are selected using eight criteria that reflect the hallmarks of effective practice and all applicants receive feedback on their application. In addition, a smaller Award may be made at the discretion of the STARS Board of Trustees to recognise the work of an organisation whose application demonstrates potential as a ‘rising star.’

• Thanks to a partnership with the Ashmore Foundation, STARS is able to increase the number of Awards it intends to offer in 2012 to 14. Of these, 6 Awards are made up of US$100,000 of unrestricted funding and additional consultancy support and the other 8 Awards will range in value from US$15,000 to US$60,000.
Applicants must enter by 7 November 2011 http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/apply/

• The STARS Foundation is governed by an international board of trustees chaired by its founder, His Excellency Amr A. Al Dabbagh

ENDS

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