$1 million award for activist who aided refugees

updated 10:50 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2007

WASHINGTON - A Roman Catholic activist who has helped provide education to thousands of African refugees displaced by ethnic bloodshed has been awarded a $1 million prize recognizing unsung humanitarians.

The Opus Prize, which honors someone who "combines a driving entrepreneurial spirit with an abiding faith to combat poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease and injustice," was given to Brother Constant Goetschalckx.

A member of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity, a Belgium-based religious order, Goetschalckx runs Ahadi, an education program based in refugee camps in Tanzania. He founded Ahadi, which translates roughly to "promise" in Swahili, a decade ago when refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Rwanda, Congo and Burundi began flooding into Tanzania.

Goetschalckx "is a man who is absolutely and totally committed to the poor of the world," said the Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, president of Catholic University, which administered this year's Opus Prize.

The money for the award, now in its fourth year, comes from the Opus Group, a Minnesota real estate firm. The Opus Prize Foundation partners with a different Catholic university each year to administer the award.

Known as "Brother Stan," Goetschalckx recruited educated volunteers from the camps to start high school classes and arranged for distance-learning classes for those working toward college degrees.

More from msnbc.com When's Palin leaving? Take our weekly quiz Looking at China unrest from Mongolian perch Adventures in Cancerland: Lust for life Red Tape: Credit card firms' new squeeze Elkhart Blog: Making sure health care isn't casualty

MORE FROM WONDERFUL WORLD

Wonderful World Section Front

At 84, man gets high school diploma Saving summer: Gifts keep city pools open Wallet stolen in 1982 found in NYC tree Man's wallet returned after 63 years Dogs help injured soldiers overcome challenges Man working 3 jobs wins $39 million Car wash, bake sale to pay for funeral ‘Boy vs. Wild’? TV tips help lost hiker survive Carpenter nails 2 lottery wins in a week Baby sea lion rescued on freeway Wonderful World Section Front   Add Wonderful World headlines to your news reader: