He received the award from the organisation’s leader Albert Likhanov at Moscow's historic Bolshoi Theatre after a gala concert for orphaned and disadvantaged children ad children with disablility, the BRAC said on Monday.

Every year, the Russian Children's Foundation awards this medal to an outstanding humanist who has made a significant contribution to the education and care of children.

Previous awardees include Mother Teresa, Albert Sabin (inventor of the oral polio vaccine) and Swedish children's writer, Astrid Lindgren.

In his acceptance speech, according to a media statement by the NGO, Abed said, “I thank the Russian Children Foundation for the honour they have shown me and BRAC.

“BRAC has been focusing on empowering people, particularly vulnerable women and children, and creating opportunities through education for the last three decades.
“I have great appreciation towards the work of RDF by which they are protecting countless underprivileged children in Russia,” he added.

The Russian Children’s Foundation, the country’s first public organisation for the protection of children, was formed in September 1991.

It currently has 74 regional offices actively working to provide social assistance to needy children in Russia in cooperation with public authorities, businesses and other community organisations.

BRAC, established in 1972, is a development organisation working to alleviate poverty by empowering the poor and creating opportunities for them.

So far its work has touched lives of an estimated 135 million people all over the world, the statement said.