Eisenhower Fellowships Honors Magaly Blas and Shridhar Venkat with Impact Award

Recognizing Impactful Leaders: Magaly Blas and Shridhar Venkat

On September 4, 2025, the Eisenhower Fellowships proudly announced the selection of Dr. Magaly Blas from Peru and Shridhar Venkat from India as the co-recipients of the prestigious James and Carol Hovey Eisenhower Fellowships Impact Award. This recognition is designed to honor individuals or groups who significantly contribute to societal improvement through their innovative projects.

Honoring Health Initiatives in Remote Areas

Magaly Blas, an esteemed physician and the founder of Mamás del Río, has made remarkable strides in augmenting maternal health care in the remote regions of the Amazon basin. Her program has been pivotal in empowering local health practitioners, including community birth attendants, with vital resources such as safe birth kits and training initiatives that leverage mobile technology. These critical interventions have led to a phenomenal rise in prenatal care visits among expectant mothers, jumping from a mere four percent to an impressive 63 percent in underprivileged regions, thereby having a life-altering impact on maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Blas's dedication has now expanded her outreach beyond Peru, crossing international borders into Colombia. Through her leadership, she has touched the lives of over 100 Amazonian communities home to ten distinct indigenous groups and trained more than 600 health workers and traditional midwives. This initiative has not only facilitated safe childbirth for over 7,000 women but has also improved essential newborn care standards dramatically.

Championing Education and Nutrition in India

On the other side of the globe, Shridhar Venkat's pivotal role at the Akshaya Patra Foundation has earned him this significant accolade. Leading the world’s largest non-governmental school breakfast and lunch program, Venkat has transformed the nutritional landscape for millions of underprivileged children across India. Since 2000, the foundation has evolved from serving just 1,500 children in Bengaluru to providing a staggering 2.35 million midday meals daily through its 78 state-of-the-art kitchens.

Under Venkat's visionary leadership, the Akshaya Patra Foundation has not only prioritized child nutrition but has also integrated women's empowerment initiatives by ensuring that local women are pivotal in feeding and educating children. His substantial contribution also extends internationally, inspiring the creation of the 'Food for Education' program in Kenya, which now feeds approximately 350,000 children each day.

Commitment to Sustainable Impact

The selection of Dr. Blas and Venkat as the 2025 Hovey Award recipients attests to their exemplary commitment to bringing essential health care and nutrition to some of the most underserved communities across their respective nations. Eisenhower Fellowships President George de Lama remarked on the profound impact of their work, highlighting their dedication to elevating the standards of health and education as a beacon of motivation for a more just and prosperous world.

Dr. Blas, an academic and advocate, has been recognized by prestigious organizations, embodying the spirit of leadership and innovation. Similarly, Venkat's transformation from a corporate executive yearning for impact to a champion of social change underscores the potential of dedicated individuals to drive transformative societal shifts.

Both leaders will receive a $10,000 USD award to further support their ongoing missions with Mamás del Río and Akshaya Patra, respectively. This recognition not only appreciates their past accomplishments but also emphasizes the importance of sustainability in their impactful work.

As they prepare to be honored at the upcoming 2025 Hovey Award Dinner, their journeys stand testament to the possibility of change through empowered leadership—profoundly affecting the lives of mothers and children in need, irrespective of geographic boundaries.