Nelson Mandela made a comment once about awards and personal recognition. He said: "I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A man does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards..."

MEDA might respond with similar words. We are not in the business of helping the working poor in order to receive awards or personal prizes. We strive to reach out in innovative ways to help create a brighter future for those working in poverty around the world.

But when recognition is given, we certainly feel honored.

We received the news that MEDA was short-listed for the $1 million (U.S.) Alcan Prize for Sustainability. Alcan is a global aluminum and packaging products company who created this prize to recognize outstanding contributions in economic, environmental and social sustainability. There were hundreds of nominations from 55 different countries and we were selected on the short list of the 10 finalists.

Our entry showcased our innovation in Pakistan and Tanzania. In Pakistan we are helping women embroiderers find market access using intermediaries to help women with design and finding higher-value markets. In Tanzania we are helping fight malaria by promoting commercial networks that make mosquito nets available to expectant mothers.

Lives of real people are being changed all around the world.

But what makes me most excited about these projects is the sustainability. Families and whole communities are being impacted and these projects reach far beyond helping people in upcoming days or weeks. These projects have potential to transform communities and build income for years, decades and even generations in the future.

As part of the application we were asked to describe how we would spend the $1 million payoff.

We recognized the importance of continued sustainability and began brainstorming ways we could promote even another level of sustainability.

Our proposal for Tanzania involves finding sustainable ways to recycle the used nets back to net production plants. Recycling nets is a way to not only protect the environment, but also bring costs for nets down. This is the next level of sustainability.

For the Pakistan project we decided to commit the funds to using the same chain that brings the embroidery to market to bring back products that can benefit the women. One of the products will be solar-powered lanterns for women embroiderers so they would not have to use the kerosene ones that are extremely dangerous - especially with children. Again, building on what we have done in order to reach yet another level of sustainability for these women.

Our theme at this year's convention in Tampa Bay is 'Set the Pace'. This award confirms again our role in international development. We are setting the pace in sustainability and creativity. We are impacting communities around the world.

This is something to celebrate. Our work is inspiring the world and the working poor are receiving a future. But while we have much to celebrate, we keep our eyes focused on the future - with more ideas, more innovation and more passion for investing in change.

Click here to read more about the Alcan Prize nomination.