SOURCE: Star Online Report – SATURDAY, JUNE 08, 2013 – Photo: facebook/theonerotary3450
Valerie A Taylor, founder and coordinator of Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), has won Rotary International award for her humanitarian work.
She was handed over the award at a ceremony at a Hong Kong hotel on June 6.
In the citation the award committee says, “Her work restoring the lives of the paralysed here in Bangladesh is truly unparalleled. She has great compassion for the neglected members of Bangladesh’s society.”
The prize includes US$100,000, donated by the award sponsor Richard Elman. The award money must be used to further the winner’s respective humanitarian-cause and service projects. The winner also receives a custom-designed trophy kindly manufactured and sponsored by Baccarat.
The award for the year-2013 was announced by THE ONE Project, a scheme conceptualised and founded by Rotarian David Harilela. It is the first international humanitarian award launched by Rotary International District 3450 in Hong Kong, Macau and Mongolia.
THE ONE award, goes to that special caring individual who truly puts Service Above Self – THE ONE who dedicates his life to helping those in need every single day.
THE ONE is someone who dedicates himself to the improvement of mankind, works for the highest standard of good, acts with compassion and kindness and can come from any part of the world, regardless of gender, race or ethnic background.
This award aims to find the unsung heroes of today by accessing the powerful Rotary network of over 1.2 million people. As signified by the Rotary motto, its main objective is service in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.
“I am so happy that her relentless work has been recognised this way by a prestigious platform of the Rotarians,” Bangladeshi Rotarian Khondakar Shahidul Hasan Hasan, former president of Rotary Club Uttara, says in a statement.
“It has brought honour to Bangladesh, and the recognition will be encouraging for many others to go for such humanitarian schemes for the welfare of the people who need support and care,” says Hasan, who is the Country Representative of Bangladesh for “THE ONE” Award Committee.
Hasan was the nominator of Valerie for the award.
A British born physiotherapist and humanitarian, Valerie Ann Taylor was granted Bangladeshi citizenship in 1998 for her 43 years of selfless sacrifice to the poor and the disabled.
Appalled at the neglect and maltreatment of those who were paralysed by spinal injury or disease, Valerie established the CRP in 1979, where 15,000 outpatients are seen every year. CRP also works to reduce accidents and provides schooling and vocational training for patients.
To empower the community, Valerie established the Bangladesh Health Professions Institute to train medical personnel.
Her compassion truly knows no bounds, as Valerie became a legal guardian to two girls, Joyti and Poppy, who had been disowned due to their disabilities.
Though she is often called the Mother Theresa of Bangladesh, Valerie speaks modestly that, “I am just very simple plain old Valerie Taylor. Never in our wildest dreams would we have realised that one day we would be able to offer a service to this number of people.”