Canadian Sabrina Habib, 35, executive director and co-founder of the most important childcare network in Kenya, won the Princess of Girona 2023 award this Friday in the international category. Habib thus joined the winners who were already known, such as the Catalans Marc Schneeberger (36 years old, scientific research) and SÃlvia Fernández (31, social), in addition to the Mallorcan Rafael Jordà (35, company) and the Granada-born MarÃa Dueñas (21 , arts and letters).
Both Sabrina Habib and her four prize-winners have, despite their youth, an overwhelming life trajectory, be it in social initiatives, business, science or the arts. MarÃa Dueñas, for example, entered the Conservatory of Music at age 7 and finished her studies at age 11. She This multi-award-winning violinist and composer has already signed a contract with the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon record label.
Rafael Jordà has created a company, Open Cosmos, “which has democratized access to space” and employs 70 people in Spain and the United Kingdom. The firm designs and puts into orbit satellites the size of a microwave, much cheaper than traditional ones. Among other things, these devices (there are currently 17 under construction) make it possible to monitor the impact of climate change on coasts and natural environments.
Those responsible for the Princess of Girona Foundation commented that many young people cite athletes, singers or artists when they ask about their role models. “And it is good that it is so, but there are others who contribute much more to build a better world.” Those referents are people like SÃlvia Fernández, president of the Palliative Art Foundation, which helps patients and their families through artistic expression.
All the winners have a reason that prompted them to shine in their areas. In the case of SÃlvia Fernández, it was her parents (he, a musician; she, a nurse), but above all her sister, who was born with a rare disease and who finds it difficult to express herself verbally, but not through art. That was the inspiration for the Palliative Art Foundation, which conducts group workshops and individual sessions in hospitals, residences and homes.
The inspiration in the case of Marc Schneeberger was also his parents, who run a beach bar on the Costa Brava. “Cooking is my second passion. The other is science, â€says this biomedical doctor who investigates the processes of obesity and is a professor at Yale University, where he recalls the conversations he has had with his father, a cook, but now from a more scientific perspective. .
Kidogo is one of those seeds that take root and become a leafy tree that provides shade for many people. This non-profit organization, co-founded by the newly awarded Princess of Girona award in the international category, has 800 centers and helps 18,000 children in East Africa. Laureate Sabrina Habib, its CEO, explains that kidogo originates from a Swahili proverb.
Chanzo cha makubwa ni kidogo. I mean, all great things start small. Or, as the great adventurer Alexandra David-Néel would say, the greatest journey begins with one small step. Sabrina Habib took that little step when she decided that something had to be done for the most vulnerable children in Kenya and other countries in the area. This is how Kidogo was born in 2014, which was a ray of hope for the impoverished neighborhoods of Nairobi.
The jury for the Princess of Girona awards praised the healthcare model promoted by Sabrina Habib and her commitment to quality and accessibility. “In her centers they care for more than 18,000 children at a crucial time in their lives for their cognitive development.” The winner, who intervened by videoconference from Nairobi to thank the distinction, rebelled as a child against the destiny marked from her cradle.
“I am aware – he said – that the place where one is born is often decisive. I feel lucky for the genetic lottery and to have been born in Canada, where I had access to a quality public education and an excellent system of care.†For this reason, she, the daughter of migrants, felt at a very early age “the responsibility to offer children who grow up in poor communities in East Africa an opportunity.”
An opportunity for what? To break with inherited poverty and to get ahead. As part of this work, she worked with the Aga Khan Development Network in East Africa on a primary care project, which made her “understand that the childcare crisis in Nairobi slums needed to be addressed differentlyâ€. This is how Kidogo was born, “non-profit and to promote social ascent”.
Kidogo allows “young children to receive the care, nutrition and stimulation they need to thrive in their early years” while enabling their mothers to “work in peace” by following a “social franchise model” that equips women with the knowledge, skills, and support tools to start or grow their own child care micro-businesses.
