HEAL Africa, a humanitarian organization that seeks to curb violence against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, won the $1 million Opus Prize, which honors humanitarian organizations that have worked to solve social problems in their communities. The foundation selects a different Catholic university each year to identify candidates. A board consisting of faculty and students chooses who to nominate for the award. The Opus Foundation then selects the winner based on the recommendations of the board. This year the participating educational institution was Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The award will be presented on November 2.
HEAL Africa has established 31 safe house and provided counseling and support to more than 40,000 women. The organization has provided training in HIV/AIDS prevention to 90,000 people.
