Maya Ajmera Sustainability Awards

Global Fund for Children strives to create lasting change for children and youth worldwide. The annual Maya Ajmera Sustainability Award – named in honor of our founder – is a testament to this goal, recognizing our partners’ accomplishments while providing an investment in their long-term stability.

About Maya Ajmera

Maya Ajmera founded Global Fund for Children in 1993, when she was just 25 years old, after experiencing a “moment of obligation” on a train platform in India. Under Maya’s 17 years of leadership (1993-2011), GFC grew from a seedling vision into one of the largest networks of community-based organizations working on behalf of children and youth worldwide. Maya’s radical vision to support small, local organizations with flexible funds – thereby improving the lives of children and youth in marginalized communities around the world – continues to drive GFC’s work today.

About the awards

Under Maya’s leadership, GFC first pioneered the Sustainability Awards in 2005, providing a special infusion of funds to outstanding partners at a critical stage of their development. This award was renamed the Maya Ajmera Sustainability Award in 2011, honoring Maya’s years of service to GFC.

Since its establishment in 2005, 170 organizations have received the award. Our programs team determines a pool of nominees each year; winners are then chosen by alumni winners and members of GFC’s Youth Leadership Council through a participatory selection process . Some Sustainability Award winners have achieved exceptional success in organizational development; many have attained regional and national influence and recognition in the field of children’s rights; others have demonstrated a deep commitment to learning and leadership throughout their GFC partnership.

With support from GFC, each winner determines how to apply the award funds toward its sustainability – whether that means establishing a reserve fund, investing in human resources, or implementing creative revenue generation activities.

In a 2018 impact assessment of the award, which surveyed alumni winners, 98% of respondents found the award very or extremely helpful to their development.

About the 2026 winners

Global Fund for Children is pleased to introduce the 2026 winners of the Maya Ajmera Sustainability Award: Instituto Mãe Lalu  and Otros Dreams en Acción.

Instituto Mãe Lalu | Brazil

Based in Brazil’s northeastern region, Instituto Mãe Lalu (IMLA) is a community-based organization led by young and adult women who believe in collective leadership and shared responsibility. The organization integrates local culture and traditional knowledge into its educational approach, creating spaces where children and adolescents can learn in ways that reflect their identities and experiences.

At the heart of IMLA’s work is a commitment to strengthening literacy and learning. Through its “Vamos dar Meia Volta e Alfabetizar” initiative, the organization provides extended after-school activities for children aged 8 to 14, supporting them in developing reading and writing skills through creative and engaging methods. This work is complemented by initiatives such as Literarte, an annual cultural event that brings together art, performance, and community dialogue, and Ciranda da Saúde, which provides access to essential health and wellness services.

With support from GFC’s Sustainability Award, IMLA will strengthen its work by, investing in its team, by building their skills in leadership, fundraising and communication, expanding its after school literacy programs and creating a dedicated community space for art, culture, and learning that will bring people together and strengthen local identity

Otros Dreams en Acción | Mexico

Otros Dreams en Acción (ODA) is an organization led by and for people directly impacted by deportation and return-migration. As an intergenerational collective, it brings together returned migrants, allies, ambassadors, and staff who share their lived experiences to challenge the systems that shape forced migration and to work toward a future of free and dignified mobility.

Initiatives such as Pocha House Pop-Ups expand ODA’s reach across different regions, creating spaces for leadership development, storytelling, and coalition building. These efforts are complemented by workshops such as the Know Your Rights workshop, which provides essential information and support to communities both in the United States and Mexico. Across all its work, community members are deeply involved, taking on roles as leaders, ambassadors, and contributors, ensuring that the organization remains grounded in lived experience.

ODA intends to use the funds from the Sustainability Award in three ways: Building the Translocal Community Corridor by expanding cross-border collaboration between communities and organizations in the US and Mexico, publishing Mientras Estoy Lejos (While I’m Away), a children’s book sharing the experiences of families separated by deportation and using storytelling and art, and strengthening community-led approaches by developing more inclusive and culturally informed ways of working.

Learn more

• Meet the 2025 winners: Colectivo Vida Digna and Martynka.
• Meet the 2024 winners: Read to Learn Foundation and One Sky Foundation.
• Meet the 2023 winner: CASE SALONE
• Meet the 2022 winners: Achievers Ghana and Organization for Youth Empowerment
• Meet the 2021 winners: Asociación Comunitaria Hilarte and Association Jeunesse Espoir
• Meet the 2020 winners: Ashanti Perú and Institute for Rural Initiatives
• Meet the 2019 winners: Hand in Hand in Kyrgyzstan, Malaika  in Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Viva a Vida in Brazil
• Read more about the award’s impact
• Learn about the selection process