Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

The Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize was established by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in 1996. The annual one million dollar award honors a charitable or non-governmental organization that has made extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering anywhere in the world.

Princess Salimah Aga Khan, who serves as SOS-Kinderdorf International Ambassador for Children, praised the dedication of SOS mothers who commit to raising children for at least a generation, and said, “It is especially noteworthy that SOS Children's Villages doesn’t separate brothers and sisters, which would only add to the trauma that these children have already experienced.”

Princess Salimah Aga Khan, appointed the first SOS-Kinderdorf International Ambassador for Children in 2000, is actively involved in that organization’s work and has visited SOS Children’s facilities in Cambodia, Nepal, Romania, France, Egypt, India, Austria, South Africa, Pakistan, Germany, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Portugal, and the United States. Born in New Delhi, she grew up in India where her father served in the British army. In 1969 she married His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili sect of Muslims. Since Their Highnesses separated in 1995, Princess Salimah has committed herself to supporting various humanitarian efforts, especially those in the areas of health and child support. Her work with SOS Children’s Villages started when she took part in the official opening of the first SOS Children’s Village in French Polynesia. More recently, she has visited southern India after the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, as well as Assad Kashmir and Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan.