Nanko Van Buuren recieves the prestigious Desmond Tutu award

February 28 2012

Nanko van Buuren honored with Desmond Tutu Award

English translation of original Dutch article. Original article sourced from Radio Netherlands Worldwide: http://www.rnw.nl/nederlands/bulletin/nanko-van-buuren-ge%C3%ABerd-met-desmond-tutu-prijs
For the Dutch text of the article, see below the English text.

RIO DE JANEIRO (RNW) – The Dutchman Nanko van Buuren receives the prestigious Desmond Tutu Award in Rio de Janeiro. Van Buuren received the prize for his work in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

With his organization IBISS he has organized dozens of social projects in the poorest neighborhoods of the city. He and IBISS have helped more than 1,400 child soldiers to leave violent drug gangs and offered them a new future.

The ceremony took place in the Complexo da Penha, a district where the battle between drug gangs has claimed dozens of lives.