OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) – Social entrepreneur Sarah Lance has been awarded the 2016 Opus Prize for her work as director of Sari Bari in Kolkata, India, a nonprofit anti-trafficking initiative. The organization offers “opportunity and hope” to women who have been impacted by Kolkata’s sex trade, or who are vulnerable to trafficking, said an announcement on the award.
Sari Bari employs 120 women, training them as artisans in a safe environment. The women transform used saris into beautiful handmade products – such as blankets, bags and purses – while creating new lives for themselves and promoting freedom for other women.
Heal, Support and Build
The prize is $1 million and “will allow Sari Bari to double the number of women working for the organization, as well as expand critical services for members of the Sari Bari family to heal, support and build with each other,” Lance said in a statement.
There were two Opus Prize finalists: Jesuit Father Peter Balleis, of Jesuit Worldwide Learning in Geneva, Switzerland, and Sister Anne Jordan, a member of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Cana Communities in Sydney, Australia. Each was awarded $100,000. The prize was awarded during a ceremony and reception at the Holland Center for performing arts in Omaha, Neb.
It was hosted by Jesuit-run Creighton University and the Opus Prize, one of the world’s largest faith-based awards for social entrepreneurship.
The prize is awarded annually to an individual or organization of any religious background, anywhere in the world. Recipients must demonstrate a pioneering approach to solving the root cause of social problems in their community. It is presented through a partnership with a university or college “as a way to inspire lives of service,” according to a news release.
Creighton University was selected by the Opus Prize Foundation to administer this year’s award because of the university’s commitment to international service and social justice.
The foundation is a philanthropic organization created by the Opus Group, a national real estate development company with headquarters in Minneapolis and offices across the country.
Editor’s Note: To learn more about and support Sari Bari, visit saribari.com.