Our Awards
2018 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
In 2018, Eliana Elias, Minga Peru’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, was elected to be a National Geographic Explorer, a network of over 3,000 like-minded changemakers and innovators. The award was in recognition of her natural leadership, problem-solving skills, and commitment to making a positive impact on the world.
2014 CHAMPIONS OF YOUTH AWARD
Minga Peru was chosen to receive the 2014 EMpower Champions of Youth Award. This award honors one long-standing grantee partner of EMpower who has made a significant contribution to the field of youth development in their community or country. As said by the President of EMpower, Marta Cabrera, “We believe Minga represents the best of EMpower’s mission in its work to empower young men and women, lift those in poverty, provide concrete skills, continually innovate and evolve as a learning organization.”
Minga’s Program Coordinator in Loreto, Emira Montes Zuta, and Eliana Elías, traveled to New York City to receive the award on behalf of the women, men, and youth working to improve life conditions in river communities of the Loreto region. Dressed in traditional Kukama clothing, Emira delivered an inspiring acceptance speech. Congratulations to all of the amazing young people of the Loreto region for your work!
2014 TRIUMPH OF THE SPIRIT AWARD
Eliana Elías was selected as the first international recipient of the Triumph of the Spirit Human Rights Award from Southern Methodist University. According to Rick Halperin, Director of the Embrey Human Rights Program, the award “represents a microcosm of life-changing work being done locally and worldwide on issues affecting everyone. The awards are meant to give us hope that change can be made even by small steps of awareness and action”.
Eliana is thrilled with the award and has donated the $25,000 cash prize to Minga. She believes that this award is an acknowledgment of all the people who have accompanied her and Minga, providing her with inspiration, support, encouragement, and advice throughout the years. And, of course, it is also an acknowledgment of the brave women of the Amazon who have invested their strength and joy in fighting for their rights.
Congratulations to everyone!
1999 Ashoka Fellowship
In 1999, Eliana Elias, Minga Peru’s Co-founder and Executive Director, was elected to the widely respected Ashoka Fellowship, the world’s largest social change entrepreneur community, in recognition of her work improving communication in the public health sector and ensuring that the recipients understood the services and information offered.
Eliana has embodied the philosophy of Ashoka by empowering and equipping others to be changemakers through the three levels of impact: direct service, systems change, and mindset change. This work has been done through the projects that Minga Peru has created through the Peruvian Amazon.