No service is greater than the service to humanity. The greatest example of selfless service and giving back to the society is the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) established in 1992-93 in Bhubaneswar with an aim to alleviate poverty by empowering the poorest of the poor tribal people with holistic education and skills.
The institute has turned into a mammoth home to 32,000 poorest of the poor tribal children (25,308 continuing students and 7,000 alumni) who receive free education, lodging, boarding, complete healthcare, enabling life and vocational skills. Over 7,000 students have already graduated from the KISS, attained self-sufficiency and become change agents for their respective communities.
To recognise and felicitate individuals for yeomen humanitarian services, the KISS Humanitarian Award was initiated in 2008. Since then, the award, comprising a citation and a gold plated trophy that depicts a great social message, has attained much covetousness.
The trophy with a golden shine structurally comprises of a pair of hands upholding a heart that bears a smear of a multitude of waving hands. The pair of hands in the upholding gesture and the large heart represents compassionate service to humanity providing power, knowledge, and capacity to a multitude of hapless hands around the globe. The overwhelming presence of hands in the trophy quintessentially symbolise work (Karma), fate, blessings, destiny and felicitation while the single pair of hands upholding the heart depict how by art of giving a pair of dedicated hands can really make a great difference in the lives of the helpless many. The shining golden color of the trophy stands for purity, altruism, prosperity and hope.
In the year 2008, the award was conferred on Madam Edna Bomo Molewa, former premier of North-Western State of South Africa and the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. Dr Ham-Kee-Sun, President of Hanseo University, an outstanding Ophthalmologist of South Korea and Anerood Jugnauth, President of the Republic of Mauritius received the award in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The other recipients of the award are Rt Justice Nicholas Addison Phillips, President of the Supreme Court of UK in 2011, lyonchhen Jigmi Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan in 2012, Madam Albina Du Boisrouvray, Founder FXB International, Switzerland in 2013, Anne Margaret Fagertun Stenhammer, Regional Director of UN Women for South Asia in 2014 and Dr. Alejandro Toledo, Former President of Peru in 2015.
The award for 2016 would be conferred on Ashley Judd, acclaimed actor, writer and UNFPA's Global Goodwill Ambassador on Thursday here. Judd’s initial humanitarian work revolved around AIDS in Africa. She is strongly committed to the cause of social justice, poverty eradication and sustainable development. She is a passionate advocate of rights of the girl child and women and to end gender based violence. Her services to the cause of humanity are unparalleled.
The award will be given in the presence of Governor Dr SC Jamir and First lady of Odisha Imkonglemla Jamir, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge, International Court of Justice, The Hague and Madhu Bhandari and Diego Palacios, UNFPA India Country Representative and Country Director, Bhutan.
(Dr Samanta is KIIT & KISS Founder)