Nominations are now available for The Guardian‘s Development Achievement Award.  Anyone who has traveled to the developing world has met outstanding individuals changing the lives of the impoverished and marginalized. The Guardian’s Development Achievement Award seeks to reward and recognize individuals making a huge impact in the poorest parts of the world.

These individuals work hard in the face of intense challenges. They spend tireless hours fighting for those they represent and deliver help that goes far beyond their pay grade.  However, often their work is known only by those who are directly impacted by it or those who happen to come across them in the areas where they work. The Development Achievement Award, now in its fifth year, seeks to bring some publicity and awareness to these hardworking individuals.

The winner of the award will receive public recognition for his or her work and achievements. Their accomplishments will be publicized to both colleagues and a broader global audience. Dr. Kshama Metre, last year’s winner, is a pediatrician who runs an organization called Cord that has helped thousands of poor in rural India by dealing with the causes and effects of poverty in a holistic manner. Renwick Rose, the winner from 2011, is an advocate for farmers’ rights in the Caribbean and works hard to fight for fair trade wages and practices within the region.

The nominees for the Development Achievement Award must be unsung heroes and have made an exceptional contribution to alleviating poverty. They should be individuals whose work deserves more recognition than it has received thus far and people who have gone above and beyond their regular line of work.  The winners will receive a film about their work, a profile in a Guardian supplement, and a presentation of the award in their own country. Nominations are welcome from anyone in the world for anyone in the world. The closing date for nominations is August 5, 2013.

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source:The Guardian