The Junior Chamber International Manila, Asia’s oldest leadership development organization, and the Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation, recently held the 37th St. Teresa of Calcutta Award (STCA) in Makati City, in recognition of individuals who have dedicated their lives to uplifting society’s marginalized groups.

“We are honored to present the award to Mr. Auke Idzenga, who, apart from embodying Saint Teresa’s message of profound love for the poor, is also an inspiration for helping in improving the lives of others,” said JCI Manila president LA Sevilla.

Awardee, Dutch-born Auke Idzenga migrated to the Philippines in 1985 and saw the need for access to potable water and irrigation in poor rural communities and upland farms and villages.

Idzenga helped set up the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI) in 1992, a non-governmental organization, to address the challenges in agrarian reform areas. He developed and promoted the hydraulic ram pump technology that now provides clean, affordable water to many of these upland communities.