Anuradha Koirala, the founder of Maiti Nepal, has been named the CNN Hero of the Year for 2010 at an event organized by CNN in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 20, 2010.

Anuradha Koirala was chosen the CNN Hero of the Year based upon an online poll on CNN.com that ran for eight weeks from September 18 to November 18, 2010. The result was revealed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper at an event organized in Los Angeles amidst a crowd of nearly 5000 people.

Anuradha Koirala will be receiving $100,000 to continue her work with Maiti Nepal, in addition to the $25,000 which is given to all of the top 10 Heroes honored at the event on Saturday night.

Anuradha Koirala has been desperately fighting to stop trafficking and sexual exploitation of Nepali girls and women. She has been doing it since 1993 with foundation of Maiti Nepal, a charity-run organization that heps rescue and rehabilitate girls sold to brothels in India. She and her group at Maiti Nepal have helped rescue more that 12,000 girls and women. She has sacrificed her life to the powerless and she is indeed a HERO.

Nisha Pradhan from Irving, Texas nominated Anuradha Koirala for CNN Hero of the Year 2010.

Click here to read full story about the event.

Video Showing Anuradha Koirala receiving the CNN Hero award

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