By Ashley Parker on
In a vote cast by children from all around the world, Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel, have been named “Decade Child Rights Heroes.”
Mandela and Machel, along with the other 11 other nominees children, have previously won the annual World’s Children’s Prize. It is organized by The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (WCPRC), the world’s largest educational program promoting the rights of young people.
Mandela and Machel were married in 1998, and jointly won the World’s Children’s Prize in 2005. They were recognized for the contributions they have made in promoting the rights of children in their respective homelands.
Both said, “We are extremely honored to have been voted as the Decade Child Rights Heroes. For both of us this award is very, very special given the place children occupy in our hearts and lives.”
For almost a decade, the annual World’s Children’s Prize has awarded three people each year for outstanding efforts in establishing the rights of children.
Mandela was praised for his life long struggle for equal rights for children of South Africa, and Machel was honored for her 25-year fight for the rights of children in Mozambique. They were awarded one million Swedish Krona to help them continue their work promoting children’s rights.
With help from over 50,000 teachers and 500 organizations, the WCPRC gives a platform for the voices of 23 million children from 53,000 schools in over 100 countries, educating them about their rights.
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