Pushpa Basnet

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Pushpa Basnet
Born Kathmandu, Nepal
Citizenship Nepali
Occupation Social worker, Entrepreneur[1][2]
Religion Hindu
Website
www.ecdcnepal.org

Pushpa Basnet (Nepali: पुष्पा बस्नेत ) or Mamu (mother) is a social worker and the Founder/President of Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) and Butterfly Home,[3] non profit organizations, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her organization works to strengthen the rights of children living behind bars with their incarcerated parents.[1][4][5]

Her efforts have been recognized by national and international media since she was nominated for CNN Heroes Award, which she subsequently won in 2012.[1][6]

Career

Basnet started her career at the age of 21, while she was still an undergraduate in Social Work. As part of her college assignment, she visited the women prison in Kathmandu. She was dismayed when she saw children living with their parents behind the bars. She raised 70,000 rupees (roughly $885) from her close friends and sister, and started a non-profit organization -The Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) to provide a day care program to the children, in 2005.[7]

In 2007, she opened a residential home for kids to live outside the prison year round while still visiting their mothers on holidays. Today, she has assisted more than 100 children of incarcerated parents. She runs a day care center for the prison children and a residential home for older ones. She has also helped to provide alternative residence, school enrollment, free meals and medical care to them.[1]

In 2009, sponsored by ChangeFusion Nepal, she started a program to coach parents to make handicrafts inside the cell. The main objective of the program is to make the female prisoners as well as former prisoners to become involved in income generating activities through which they can sustain their livelihood and contribute towards raising their children.[1][2]

She, along with her organization, coordinate with prison administrators to rescue children behind bars throughout urban and rural areas of Nepal, and help them break the cycle of crime and poverty.

Donation and Fund Raising

Recognizing her effort as the first of a kind in Nepal, many local organizations have pledged their help to raise fund for Basnet.[1] Major donations for Basnet's organization has come from The Glasswaters Foundation, Shikshya Foundation Nepal and Sundar Sansar. The center collects donations through various fund raising programs and individual donations.[3]

Recently, a local organization helped raise 3.7 lakh ruppees (roughly $4,600) for her organization through various national and international donation programs.[8]

Awards and Recognition

CNN Hero 2012

Pushpa Basnet has been awarded with CNN Hero Award 2012, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, December 2. Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon presented Basnet with the award. The show was aired LIVE through CNN.[9]

When earlier interviewed by CNN, she commented on her venture as;-
"It's not fair for (these) children to live in the prison because they haven't done anything wrong...My mission is to make sure no child grows up behind prison walls."[1]

CNN Heroes culminated in a global telecast honoring the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 on September 20. Basnet was selected in the final list through unanimous Jury decision, winning a $50,000 grant amount for her effort and contributions towards the welfare of children who are behind the bars.[10][11]

Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes received $50,000 in recognition of their work, and Basnet’s nonprofit, the Early Childhood Development Center, has been awarded an additional $250,000 grant to continue the work.[12]

Banquet in GW University, Washington

Basnet was the honored guest speaker in the banquet dinner hosted by George Washington Student Organization Babies Behind Bars in The Cloyd Heck Marvin

TEDx Kathmandu

Basnet was an honored speaker in TEDx Kathmandu, organized in July 28, 2012.[13]

ELGA Foundation Korea

ELGA Foundation of South Korea awarded ELGA Youth Award to Basnet in September 1, 2012, at Soul's Chung Conference Hall for her contribution in human services. Basnet is the only foreigner to receive the award which was established in the memory of Social worker Kim Yongi in 1989.[14][15]

Videos

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 CNN Edition (2012-03-23). "Pushpa Basnet interviewed by CNN, after her nomination for CNN Heroes Award". 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pushpa Basnet listed in Paragon 100 Asia". Paragon100.Asia. 2012-03-23. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Early Childhood Development Center". ECDCNepal.org. 2012-03-23. 
  4. ↑ "Pushpa Basnet: Making a Difference". Nepali Times. 2012-03-23. 
  5. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20579801
  6. ↑ "Pushpa Basnet, top 10 of CNN Heroes Award 2012". My Republica -Nepal's Daily. 2012-03-23. 
  7. ↑ "Pushpa Basnet interviewed by MetroFever". MetroFever.com. 2012-03-26. 
  8. ↑ "GrowingBeyond Bars raise money for ECDC". GrowingBeyondBars.org. 2012-02-23. 
  9. ↑ "Basnet awarded with CNN Hero Award 2012". CNN.com. Retrieved 2012-12-03. 
  10. ↑ CNN. "Basnet selected in Top 10 CNN Heroes through unanimous Jury Decision". Retrieved 2012-09-21. 
  11. ↑ CNN. "Top 10 CNN Heroes selected for the Grand prize of $250,000". Retrieved 2012-09-21. 
  12. ↑ "Final Ceremony for CNN Heroes Award 2012 in Shrine Aud., Los Angeles". CNN. Retrieved 2012-09-20. 
  13. ↑ "Pushpa Basnet as a honored speaker in TEDx Kathmandu". 
  14. ↑ "Pushpa Banset receives ELGA Youth Award". Sarokaar.com. Retrieved 2012-09-02. 
  15. ↑ "Basnet felicitated in ELGA Foundation Korea". Retrieved 2012-09-02. 

External links

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