Vera Cordeiro born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, graduated in Medicine in 1975 as a medical doctor. She worked as such at Hospital da Lagoa -Rio de Janeiro, from 1978 until 1998.
In 1991 Dr. Cordeiro founded Associação Saúde Criança Renascer (ASCR) with the purpose of structuring the families of less privileged children, those suffering with chronic or acute illness, and those released form the Hospital da Lagoa, helping them to find family self-sustainability. Since 1993, Dr. Cordeiro has enabled the creation of 16 similar NGOs to replicate her methodology, following the same modus-operandi of ASCR.
Dr Cordeiro was elected an Ashoka fellow in 1992, an Avina leader in 2000, a Schwab Social Entrepreneur in 2001, a board member of Path (A Catalyst for Global Health) in May 2005. She was Ashoka´s Board of Directors member in 2006. In recognition of ASCR’s proven excellence, the organization and its founder have won 18 national and international awards including, the Global Development Network’s Award for the world’s ”Most Innovative Development Project” in 2003 and in 2006, “Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship”.
