Prizewinners 2011 - Almaz and Karlheinz Böhm
The Essl Social Prize 2011 goes to Almaz and Karlheinz Böhm for their unprecedented commitment in Ethiopia with their organisation Menschen für Menschen. In the last three decades the couple has managed to give the gift of a future to well over four million Ethiopians.
Prizewinner 2010 - Bill Drayton / Ashoka-Globalizer
Bill Drayton, from the USA, is a pioneer in the concept of social entrepreneurship and is the founder and chairman of Ashoka, an international nonprofit organisation whose goal is to support social entrepreneurs around the globe. Since its foundation in 1980, the organisation has supported worldwide the work of over 2,500 social entrepreneurs.
Bill Drayton received the Essl Social Prize 2010 for lifetime achievement . The prize money was used to establish the Ashoka Globalizer initiative, which is to contribute to the globalisation of proven social projects.
www.ashokaglobalizer.org
Prizewinner 2009 - Szekeres Tiborné / Tibor háza
Twenty-two years ago Ms. Szekeres began building the foundation "for Equal Opportunity!". She has a severly disabled son and originally wanted to use her initiative to provide him with better living conditions. Since then, the foundation has created numerous residential and employment locations for the disabled in which they can be supported in a variety of ways.
"Tibor haza" was built with the prize money from the Essl Social Prize 2009. It is a four-storey home, where all the special needs of its residents can be catered to.
Prizewinner 2008 - Father Georg Sporschill / Casa Abraham
Father Georg Sporschill founded the social project "Concordia - City of Children" more than 16 years ago for the street children in Romania. After a life on the streets, up to 90 children and adolescents can find shelter and a sense of security here. Adolescents can now be offered vocational training and a new perspective in life.
With the prize money from the Essl Social Prize a residential and training centre called "Casa Abraham" was built for 24 teenagers.
