CNN Hero 2010 - Anuardha Koirala [Video Update]

A good news today ! Anuradha Koirala has been announced as the CNN Hero 2010.

Video Update : [It is a preview : Full episode will be aired on Thanksgiving Night]


CNN Hero : An All Star Tribute is an annual show run by CNN since 2007 hosted by Anderson Cooper. People from all over the over world having access to the internet contribute their votes in choosing one of the Nominees. The Nominees are selected under following topics:

   - Championing Children -           Committement to the welfare of young people.

   - Community Crusader -            Creating Solutions to a local problem or a social issue.

   - Defending the Planet -            Innovative efforts to preserve and protect the planet.

   - Medical Marvel -                    Dedication to the enhancement of human health.

   - Protecting the Powerless -      Advancing the cause of human or social rights.

   - Young Wonder -                      Outstanding Achievement by a person 25 or under.

The process starts by people or stars introducing local heroes serving in one of the forementioned  headings to the CNN. Out of the nominees the top 10 are selected by the CNN selected judges panel, then the voting goes worldwide. This years Top 10 CNN Heroes were selected by "blue-ribbons" panel comprising of singer Ricky Martin, boxer Mohammad Ali, singer Ludacris, industrialist Richard Branson, actor Rain Walson, twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, actress Holly Robinson Peete, supermodel Alek Wek, actor Hill Harper. Each of the Top 10 nominees receives a prize of amount $25000 as an honor and aid for their contribution to their cause. The top CNN Hero receives $100,000 as the prize. The Top Hero is selected by public voting via http://heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx.

For the year 2010 the "blue ribbon" panel had selected following 10 people as Top 10 Heroes. 

1. Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega (Mexico) - Founded a health center Hospital de la Familia in the city of Juarez
2. Susan Borton (USA) - helping ex-victim women via A New Way of Life Reentry Project
3. Linda Fondren (USA) - helping people in Mississipi loose weight with Shape Up Vicksburg program.
4. Anuradha Koirala (Nepal) - helped sex victims rehabilitate and stop sex trafficking via Maiti Nepal.
5. Narayanan Krishnan (India) - brings hot meals to homeless via Akshaya Trust.
6. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow (UK) - the program Mary's Meals provides 40K children with food all over the world
7. Harmon Parker (Kenya) - His organization Bridging the Gap, helps connect local people to connect and utilize the local resources for survival in flood and other disasters.
8. Aki Ra (Cambodia) - He is clearing the mines that were planted during 1970's in Cambodia via Cambodia Self Help Demining
9. Evans Wadongo (Kenya) - Distributing free lanterns in Kenya via Use Solar, Save Lives to replace smokey kerosene and fire light.
10. Dan Wallrath (USA) - This Texas house builder has given mortgage free homes to Iraq and Afgan war-injured veterans via his organization Operation Finally Home. 

Of these great heroes, people from all over the world have recognised  Anuradha Koirala's to be more promising and voted her as the CNN Hero of the Year 2010. Anuradha Koirala's social contribution was brought to light by actress Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher who are also working worldwide on eliminating worldwide sex slavery via The DNA (Demi and Ashton Foundation). Working day and night since 1993 along the borders and several brothels in India and Nepal, Anuradha Koirala has helped more than 12000 sexually exploited powerless women to heal, build and lead a selfe respected life. >> Read her more profile here <<

The call for vote was done in various social networking sites, blogs, news sites via Fan Pages and messages.

Her words :  

After being selected as the Top 10 nominee : 

"Human Trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity, I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughgters." 

On  November 20, Saturday night after being introduced as the Top CNN Hero, in a grand program organized by CNN in Los Angeles, USA she said, "This is another responsibility for me to work with all your support. We have to end this heinous crime. Please join hands with me to end this crime. Please try to respect the youth. They are the ones who are going to build the next generation. Thank you so much". 

I would also like to extend my personal thanks to all my dear readers for contributing your votes in this epic event. This will be a milestone and a great reward for her work and the Nepalese society. From the sidebar widget that I kept in October 23, it got 152 clickthroughs to the voting site. I am sure it served a purpose. All the best to the Hero.